I Am Made New: The Secret to the Best Makeover

Have you ever heard your alarm go off in the morning only to think, "Here we go again..."? If I am honest, I don't wake up every morning with praise on my lips. It is usually more of a quiet mutter until I am conscious enough to realize I'm awake and praise God for that, though I would also praise Him for another 9 minute snooze.

If you are like me, you can get a little disillusioned with the repetitive motion of an adult life: wake up, make breakfast, clean littles, clean self, go to work, come home, make dinner, feed littles, clean littles, clean house, so on and so forth...perhaps with a little "watch the Hubs do XYZ of the above" thrown in there if yours is as big a help as mine.

Regardless, the routine can become a bit mind-numbing if we are on auto-pilot. I can find myself getting irritated at the smallest things, and thinking if I just changed something...made something over - the room, my hair, my clothes - something, I would be less uneasy. This can be projected onto those around me as well. If only so-and-so did such-and-such, things would be easier, more enjoyable, yada yada yada. Oh, Rakhi...when will you learn?

St. Paul reminds us in the readings today that with Christ, all is made new.

Brothers and sisters:

The love of Christ impels us,

once we have come to the 

conviction that one died for all;

therefore, all have died.

He indeed died for all,

so that those who live might 

no longer live for themselves

but for him who for their sake 

died and was raised.

Consequently, from now on we regard 

no one according to the flesh;

even if we once knew 

Christ according to the flesh,

yet now we know him so no longer.

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:

the old things have passed away;

behold, new things have come.

2 Corinthians 5:14-17

I am made new. You are made new. Christ has made all things new for us. Jesus continues to make all things new for us. Every day, every minute, every second...with every breath there is an opportunity to let go of our old ways and be renewed in Him. 

Jesus died and rose so that we might be transformed into a new creation. Sadly, too often I look like that old sack who just hasn't quite gotten it yet. I am quick to judge, to react with anger, to jump to conclusions, to think of myself first. Still, St. Paul reminds me that in every moment there is hope. New things have come. New things are coming. Every time I approach the altar to receive my Lord, He transforms me into a new creation. He conforms my heart a little more to His. He bends my will to look a little more like His. I'm a slow learner, so it doesn't happen overnight. Yet He is there waiting to fill me, to wash me clean, to make me over until I radiate His image. 

Today, allow Christ to renew you, to fill you, to wash away the past and begin a new work in you. He will make you new - today and every day. 

If you enjoyed reading this post, follow The Pitter Patter Diaries on Bloglovin, Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter!

Simple Sunday Snapshot {9.21.14}

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Matthew 20:15-16

My first and immediate response whenever I read and hear this passage is a sigh of relief. Procrastinators still have hope!! 

In all seriousness, I was once told by a "cradle Catholic" as I was trying to learn the intricacies of the faith and the reason behind its teachings that really, I'd never actually be Catholic since I wasn't born into it. 

Bite your tongue. I surely did. Let's not even get into that whole go to all the nations, preach the Gospel, and baptize everyone business.

While that is an extreme example, I do think that we all risk being lured into a trap of spiritual superiority. I notice it in myself at Mass. Someone STILL doesn't know the new responses. Look who's waking in right before the Gospel. 

Here's the kicker. Jesus came to offer the gift of salvation to all of us, whether we've been following from the beginning or whether we are walking in at the 2 minute warning or sneaking onto the field at the final buzzer. So that person who just doesn't get it? If they're still drawing breath, they've got time, and we'd better be in the business of helping them instead of pointing fingers.

Sure, it doesn't seem fair some days. We struggle to stay faithful for all our days and someone had a deathbed epiphany of repentance and they're offered the exact same mercy and grace as the rest of us. 

That's just what we hear in Isaiah. We aren't supposed to get it. His ways are not our ways. Instead of trying to understand His boundless and timeless mercy while our eyes are still veiled in a fallen world, we do better to trust that He treats us all with equal mercy, even when we stumble in our foolishness. Instead of comparing our piety and worth with those around us, we do better to simply get to work in the business of the Kingdom so when He comes to pay us, we are there, and not at the water cooler rolling our eyes. (Do they even have water coolers anymore?) 

So let's get to work this week, and remember, if we are a bit sluggish or late to the game, Jesus is still there waiting with the fullness of His mercy, His love, and His grace.

Blessings!

Rakhi

Simple Sunday Snapshot: August 17 {For the Dogs}

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 

And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,

“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! 

My daughter is tormented by a demon.” 

But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. 

Jesus’ disciples came and asked him,

“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”

He said in reply,

“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” 

He said in reply,

“It is not right to take the food of the children

and throw it to the dogs.” 

She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps

that fall from the table of their masters.” 

Then Jesus said to her in reply,

“O woman, great is your faith! 

Let it be done for you as you wish.” 

And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.

Matthew 15:21-28

Two things came to mind as I was praying on this Gospel passage at Mass today. Part of the homily broke open the intention behind Jesus's harsh words to the Canaanite woman. While it seems that he is being rude, it may instead be that he was doing so intentionally, so as to hold a mirror up to the faces of the Jews as a reflection of their own ugliness toward the Gentiles. That got me wondering, who are our dogs? Who are those we feel are not worthy of the banquet table of Christ, and might we be holding back even the scraps from their souls? 

The other thought that came to mind was whether I was willing to risk rebuke, ridicule, and scorn to seek out Jesus for the dogs...not for myself, but for those who are dying (body, mind, or spirit) and cannot seek the Lord themselves. What do I do to intervene, and do I take action even when it may not be easy?

If the Lord encountered me on the road today, would he walk on by as I was busy with my life, or would I be bold enough to stop Him that He might say of me, "O, woman, great is your faith!"  Praying the week ahead provides us ample opportunity and boldness to seek after the Lord for those on the margins. 

If you enjoyed reading this post, follow The Pitter Patter Diaries on Bloglovin, Facebook, and/or Twitter!

Simple Sunday Snapshot: August 3

Brothers and sisters:

What will separate us from the love of Christ? 

Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,

or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? 

No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly

through him who loved us. 

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,

nor angels, nor principalities,

nor present things, nor future things,

nor powers, nor height, nor depth,

nor any other creature will be able to separate us

from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

What a reading to take into the week with us. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from God's love through Christ Jesus. This is one of those passages that was a "love at first sight" verse, but not until I just sat with it to prepare my heart for Mass tomorrow did the magnitude of this promise hit me. {Yes, I have finally started pre-reading and praying with the Scriptures now - chasing/shooshing two toddlers at Mass doesn't really provide much time for deep reflection, after all, so necessity has led me to what I should have been doing all along.}

I digress. Back to this reading - God loves you NO MATTER WHAT. God's love is there, waiting, regardless of our response. If we believe, His love is there. If we don't believe, His love is still there. If we don't believe He could possibly love us because of our fears, faults, and failings, His love remains steadfast for us. Nothing can separate us from His love. All we can do is turn away from it, and even still, His love waits for us faithfully. 

Sitting with this reality presents me a challenge. In my own spirit, it is a challenge to lay aside the magnifying glass that amplifies all the reasons I am not worthy of God's love and just accept Him at His Word. He has made me and He loves me. In my actions, I am challenged to love without strings attached. In the face of disrespect, betrayal, hurt, and anger, I am challenged to continue loving. I am challenged to remain open to allow Jesus to love with abandon through me. That is quite the tall order for this all-too-human gal some days. Two steps forward and one step back is still forward progress, though, so we keep trying in faith. 

Here is hoping the week ahead is filled with ample reminders of God's undying love for you, and grace to keep loving as He does.

If you enjoyed reading this post, follow The Pitter Patter Diaries on Bloglovin, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter!

Sunday Shorts: Birds, Flowers and A Throne

This will be one more week with no link up to What I Wore Sunday - it seems the winter is taking its toll on my fashion, though this week it seems like it is keeping with the sentiment of the weekend's readings. 

I've been hitting the 10 a.m. Mass at a nearby parish lately due to weather and timing, and Fr. John has yet to disappoint. His homilies have been like an arrow targeting my heart very precisely - preaching is no doubt a powerful charism of his. Today he boiled it down to this: Lent is a time to shake off our fears and worries. It's time to stomp our boots and shake off the dust (or snow). Whatever has been holding us back, it is time to get rid of it so we can live fully in Christ and with our hearts centered in Christ. 

There is only one throne in our hearts. If Christ isn't sitting on it, we have to bravely ask ourselves who (or what) is...and be willing to let go of it. If Christ is there, we have to be honest about what in our lives competes for that spot trying to oust him from his seat? No matter our answer, we need to be firm in our knowledge that He always remains with us, that we are always at the center of His heart, His love, His sacrifice. Lent is the time to strip away the distractions and train our hearts to stay strong and protect His throne so at the end of the day we can say to our Lord, our hearts are centered in You. We remain with You also.

{I had an image pop in my head of what this battle looks like, but didn't get around to drawing it yet. Besides, Heather over at Mama Knows, Honeychild is the illustrator around these parts. Perhaps I should sign a deal with her to illustrate my Sunday shorts.}

Speaking of shaking off dust and making new room, here's what I've been up to this weekend as I continue to fix up Li'l G's room. After a good cleaning and organizing, I have a little garland accent added to her headboard, a book sling and the alphabet for her to distract herself with as she lays in bed. Her words: "I LOVE it, mom!" Next step is to actually put the new bedding on the bed and hang a couple of baskets to store her little figures. Oh, and find a cute bedskirt that doesn't cost me a fortune.

Hope you had a relaxing and sweet Sunday as we head into Lent. Incidentally, while it is the squeakiest squeak in under the wire, this officially concludes the 7 Posts in 7 Days Challenge with Conversion Diary. Whew!

If you enjoyed reading this post, follow The Pitter Patter Diaries on Bloglovin, Facebook, and/or Twitter!

SQT - Be It Resolved: More Jesus!

Joining up with Jen a little late this week as we get a move on cleaning out our house...

New Year's Resolutions...who's in and who's out? I have to admit I've never been one for making a list of resolutions as we ring in a new year, mostly because I know my resolve is weak. Honestly, it seemed that any resolutions made at the start of the year are likely ongoing projects anyway.

This year, I was reading something Ann Voskamp wrote that really struck me deeply. She said we needed only one resolution: Jesus. More Jesus. Speechless. How often I am spinning my wheels, running around like a headless chicken, when the answer is so simple. More Jesus. Sing it with me now:

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and its righteousness. Then all these things shall be added unto you. A-llelu-alleluia.

That is (and always should have been) my only resolution. The more I become a woman of God, the more I become His daughter, His disciple, the more the rest of my tasks, goals, and life in general will be ordered as it should be. The more I hand over my worries, cares and troubles to Him, the less chaos will rule my heart. Sounds simple enough, right? Now to figure out how to go about falling deeper into Jesus...

--- 1 ---

More Scripture

Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. ~ St. Jerome

This seems simple enough on the surface. Jesus is the Word of God, so in absorbing the Scriptures, we absorb Him. My trouble is staying consistent. I could read the daily Scriptures, but I find that I need a little something to help draw me into reflection. Perhaps a little daily Lectio with the Gospel, perhaps a small devotional, perhaps just sitting quietly with the Word...do you have any practices that help you make Scripture a meaningful daily habit (beyond reading and moving on)?

--- 2 ---

The Blessed Mother

"Do whatever He tells you." ~ Mary

I always joke with those who question invoking Mary's aid in prayer that the fastest way to a Jewish boy is his Jewish mother. In all seriousness, it wasn't until much more recently (this Advent) that I gained a deeper understanding of the connection that exists. It was actually through the use of the Newsboys' "Adoration" lyrics in a reflection that it hit me.

I'm here with the others who saw the heavens testify
Now I hang back in the shadows I want to come close, I want to know
She sees me shivering here; She smiles and with a nod
I walk through the mud and straw to the newborn Son of God

Mary continually invites us closer to her Son. She also is the impetus in Scripture behind the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. "They're out of wine." In a quiet, gentle way, she opens the door for Jesus to bring us what we need.

--- 3 ---

 The Least of These

“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these 

who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:35-40

Mother Teresa always referred to the poor as Jesus in distressing disguise, and her umbrella for "the poor" was large and wide. The lonely, the unborn, the elderly, the hungry, the homeless, the ill, the spiritually lost...poor is not just an economic status. The more we open our hearts to the "least of these," the more we open our hearts to the Lord.

--- 4 ---

The Eucharist

Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity

Before I was Catholic, but attending Mass, of course I was not permitted to consume the Eucharist. I share in the story of my conversion that while others see this exclusion as divisive, not being permitted to consume the body and blood of Christ spurred something of a greater desire in me to know Him. It drew me to desire Christ, when then led me to seek Him more intentionally, which then led me into His Church. The Eucharist still draws me closer to Jesus - how much closer can we get than to physically become one with Him every time we consume the Eucharist at Mass? How much more intimate that gaze of Adoration? To have the real presence of our Lord become one with us - is there any more powerful union in the universe?

--- 5 ---

Image from Wikicommons

Confession

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our 

sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

An image came to mind as I was praying during Advent about how to better resemble Christ. It is as though we have made a painting of ourselves on top of another painting. God created the original painting in His image, but we have added our own strokes through our choices, decisions, words and actions. Throughout Advent (and really the whole of our lives), God begins to wipe away parts of the newer painting. He wipes, we wipe, until in the end the image that remains is that of His Son. This is the efficacy of confession. Every time we fall, every time we go astray with our brushes and muck up His masterpiece, the Lord is there waiting to take us in His arms and brush us off. We have to humble ourselves to approach him in our brokenness, to admit that we are indeed fallen and in need of saving over and over and over again. There is no shame in that admission - we are all in the same boat!

--- 6 ---

Image from wydcentral.org

The Holy Father(s)

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 

‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ 

He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ 

Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs..." John 21:15

I think it goes without saying that our current Holy Father, Pope Francis, is sending the world into a faster spin with the very visible way in which he encourages everyone to know Jesus, to love Jesus, and to emulate Jesus in our lives. The thing is, that though not all our Popes of recent have had his panache, they have all in their papacies used their gifts and charisms to draw the faithful into a greater communion with Christ, whether in heart, mind or body. Pope Francis gives us no small collection of points to ponder and the two before him have left us a plethora of reading and witness that opens the door to a closer knowledge of Jesus and ourselves as mirrors of His image as well. Now if only I could find the time and focus for more reading!

--- 7 ---

Image from Happy Saints.

The Saints

"The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints, share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives, the transmission of their writings, and their prayer today. They contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. When they entered into the joy of their Master, they were 'put in charge of many things.' Their intercession is their most exalted service to God's plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world." Catechism of the Catholic Church 2683

Nope, I'm not talking New Orleans football here, though I'm sure they have their own merits. When we start to wonder if we are making any progress in our relationship with Jesus, or whether our lives look at all like ones who claim kinship with Christ, the lives of the saints give us a glimpse into the struggles of living in close relationship with Jesus as well as what it looks like to leave the imprint of that friendship on the world. In a special way, the saints, who continue to live on in eternity, join together with us in their prayer. We call on them to help us along our journey, to be our special advocates with Jesus, imploring Him on our behalf. I have begun the year with a novena to Mary, Undoer of Knots, and while I have often contemplated this, I think this will be the year of consecutive novenas, not only for myself, but for those who have asked our prayers and for the world in general. 

If you have a special novena or prayer you like, please let me know in the comments. Maybe we can join together in a novena sometime in the near future!

After all of that, the short story is simply this: more Jesus. 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

If you enjoyed reading this post, follow The Pitter Patter Diaries on Bloglovin, Facebook, and/or Twitter!

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!

If you enjoyed reading this post, follow The Pitter Patter Diaries on Bloglovin, Facebook, and/or Twitter!

Beloved Blessings

If you haven't read Jenna's post on her prayer sticks, go! It will be a gift to busy moms and all.the.busy.praying.people.everywhere! Reading her post, I realized that something that's been on my to-do list for awhile is to recreate a Beloved Blessings Jar. It's been sitting on my "to-do-then-blog-about" list for a few months at least. What? You don't have one of those? 

If you are like me, there are days where you are feeling a little beaten down, perhaps as though there just aren't enough hours, there isn't enough energy, and you don't have what it takes to face another day of struggling through all.the.hours.of.the.day. When the Hubbers and I were dating, I made him a Blessings Jar for Valentine's Day (I think?) one year.

The basics are simple. I took a mason jar, prettied it up (in a masculine fashion for him, of course), and filled it with printed Scriptures and quotes to serve as a reminder of his belovedness, God's love for him, and encouragement in the journey. If he was having a rough day or moment, he could pull out a blessing and there would be something there to remind him of God's Truth about him and shoo away the devil's lies. I wonder if he still has it packed away in a box from the old apartment...

Life with small children can leave us with many days where we are weary and worn and questioning our sanity. Ok, life in general can do that, I admit it. My own weariness mainly comes from the babes. (Isn't crazy how some of your biggest blessings can also leave you exhausted and spent?) Perhaps it is time to break out another LARGE mason jar, warm up that printer and get crafty!

No, I have no idea exactly what this will look like.
Yes, by the tree was the only clear surface in the house
to lay everything out and get a clutter-free picture. Sad.
Maybe I should clean before I craft... Maybe.

Now this is where you can help me out! What are your favorite verses of Scripture and quotes that remind you of God's love for you, provide calm in the storm, light in the darkness, and encouragement when you feel like you are ready to throw in the towel? The more the merrier! A few of my favorites can be found here.

Leave me a note in the comments below with your faves, and I'll include it in a future post - be sure to leave your name and blog URL if you want me to credit it in the post (which I would LOVE to do). And like Fr. Solanus always reminded us, I give you thanks ahead of time. 

Happy Advent and St. Nicholas Eve! (If you're looking for ideas for St. Nicholas Day, check out Sarah's post from yesterday...)

If you enjoyed reading this post, follow The Pitter Patter Diaries on Bloglovin!

Your Sin is [No] Greater Than My Sin

Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, “Let me take the speck out of your eye”, while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. Matthew 7:3-5

Guilty. I completely left out the verse on "the measure by which you judge is the measure by which you shall be judged" bit. It isn't that I don't think it is important. Quite frankly, it could have lent itself very well to what I am about to write. My trouble is that in the current climate I truly believe people misunderstand the connotation of judgment here and we end up with our "I'm okay, you're okay" argument. Really, it's more like "Ouch! There's a log in my eye! Oh crap, there's a splinter in yours!" 

That's the trouble though, isn't it? We end up so often on one of two extremes. Either anything goes and to judge someone's actions makes you a meanie-pants hater, or you really are a meanie-pants hater who is a hypocrite in pointing out everyone else's sins and ignoring your own. Yes, I know. You can tell I am surrounded by toddlers with such erudite language as "meanie-pants hater." 

The fact of Christian life is this: our sin does not define us. As soon-to-be St. John Paul II reminded us in Toronto at World Youth Day in 2002, "We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son."

So, why in the world do we allow perceived failure or weakness to define others? I know. I get it. Some vocal segments out there are telling us sin is not sin. Do you think you know which segment I'm referring to here? Good for you. I don't, because there are so many of them. The trouble in making assumptions here is that there are just as many loudmouths talking about why abortion is okay, why same-sex marriage is okay, why greed is okay, why xenophobia is okay, why the death penalty in this day and age is okay, why a multitude of other things are okay (or not okay). In our fallen nature, aren't we all engaged with the devil in a bit of the deception game in trying to justify our sin so it no longer becomes sin? 

That's why when the whole marriage equality business began I wrote Love Must Come First. We are not defined by our sin. We are not the sum of our actions or our beliefs. We are people, with souls, created in the image and likeness of God. We are fallen. All of us are fallen. I've said this before - it is utterly unfair that the world is engaged in a heated debate about an issue that puts the spotlight on someone else's sinful nature based on an attribute that is simply more publicly seen. My sinful nature goes unnoticed in some ways because the world is not in a debate about it. Utterly unfair. 

I understand that as a people of faith we must put forth the Gospel and the moral teachings. I understand that it is natural to have to react to what we are being presented with at the current moment. This is why I have said so often that we must stop reacting to the world around us and begin to be proactive about our message of hope and salvation. It is our message, not in response to the world around us, not in response to Henny Penny telling us the sky is falling. It is our message handed down to us through the ages from the source of our hope and salvation, Jesus Christ. 

My sin is no less than your sin. If I intentionally choose anger (cough road rage cough), Jesus tells me I have killed (anger = murder, remember?). It's just not as "sexy" as sex. Yes, there are those things that are intrinsically evil. Yes, we have to fight against evil. However, we must learn to love each other in that fight. We must learn to call out what is good, what of the imprint of God exists and encourage that. Who wants to listen to us after we have told them they are evil, or their choices are evil, especially in a world that more rapidly doesn't even acknowledge the existence of evil? 

We have to be transparent about our own struggles if we are ever to walk with someone else who is suffering. We have to acknowledge that we're not really on the narrow road ourselves if we want to help someone else back to the right road with us. We are all sinners. Every last one of us. We have to stop comparing our sins and somehow always coming up shorter in that department than everyone else (or thinking we are too sinful for God's grace, but we can save that for another day). We each have hard struggles in our lives, or we aren't really doing it right. No one on the way to meet Jesus at Calvary is without a cross. No one. 

Why all this ranting, you ask? Well, I wanted to share a video from a lesbian about coming out and some of her realizations that I think provoke a lot of thought. I hesitated to share this because I knew it would offend some people. I decided to share it anyway because I think we have a lot to learn from one another, and what I loved about the video was that the ultimate lesson here was to begin to see each other as people and not arguments. 

I have many close friends, some whom happen to be gay (they are not my "gay friends"). Much like my friends who are not gay, some abide by Church teachings on chastity, some do not, and some, well, some may not even believe in God. Regardless, while we clearly disagree on some matters of politics, philosophy and morals, my life is enriched by each of them, and I have no doubt that our Lord loves them very much, some days maybe even more than He loves me. So, while I assure you that I believe all the Church has to teach on faith and morals, I also assure you that I remain steadfast in my belief, much like St. Paul, that love must come first. We have to start seeing each other as struggling souls worthy of redemption, regardless of our struggle.

I invite you to watch the video below shedding any discomfort you may have with the initial topic. I think you will find that despite its potential to be controversial, she shares some very deep insights about the nature of life before heaven.

I would love to read your thoughts on the matter. As always, please keep comments respectful or they will not be published. Grazie!

If you enjoyed reading this post, follow The Pitter Patter Diaries on Bloglovin!

WIWS: I Heart Autumn & God Hearts You

I'm baaaack! It's been a long while since I've participated in the What I Wore Sunday linkup over at Fine Linen & Purple. Now that autumn is in full swing, I feel fashionably refreshed...at least this weekend. While the "fall back" didn't work for the littles, I somehow did feel like I was more rested, even being up several times. Go figure. I guess that sunlight helps at 7 o'clock in the old a of m. I heart autumn!

Oh, and God hearts you. A lot. Unceasingly and without bounds or question or restriction. He does. That was the priest's message at Mass this morning. Despite our sin, despite our conditional love, God loves us without end. Romans 8:38-39 came to mind as he was speaking, and sure enough, that was the verse he used at the end of the homily. 

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As we approach Advent in this season of thanks, I am so thankful that God loves me in spite of me. He loves me because He created me, knowing full well my faults and failing better than I do, and loving me through them, drawing me back to Himself over and over and over. In proclaiming the first reading from Wisdom today, I was moved again and again as God reminded us just how persistent and gentle He is, and just how much He loves us. 

Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance
or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things;
and you overlook people's sins that they may repent.
For you love all things that are
and loathe nothing that you have made;
for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it;
or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?
But you spare all things, because they are yours,
O LORD and lover of souls,
for your imperishable spirit is in all things!
Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little,
warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing,
that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

Wisdom 11:22-12:2 

Now that you know how much God loves you, here's what I wore today. 

Jacket: Resale $1

Skirt: Resale $3

Shirt you can't see: JC Penney clearance

Tights: Target

Shoes: DSW

Glasses: Costco

Pumpkins: Meijer - I didn't actually wear those, of course

Close up of tights and boots below:

There you have it. That's what I wore!

Happy Sunday - hope it is filled with many blessings for which to be thankful!

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!