It's been a week since I posted...and what a week! Sometimes my weeks just fly by and I just hang on and fly right with them! We have been working on role models in school and we had a fabulous discussion about Jesus and Mary and the Saints as role models in our lives. The children were very thoughtful and sincere. It's so beautiful for me to witness their faith growing right alongside them as they learn their math and reading!

Thank you God for the many, many blessings in my life. Continue to use my hands and heart to touch your children. They so need You! They are hungry to learn about You! Help me not to be discouraged, but to continue on this mission that You have placed me on for this year. I love You!

I am off to the sewing machine. I have decided to make myself a candy corn costume for this Friday. I think I bought enough felt for our entire family to be pieces of candy...hmmmm...that actually would be fun! Maybe I'll just see if my husband and son would go for it...we could be eight pieces of candy.
If it works, I'll try to post a picture.

Mary

Jesus, I trust in You!

Holy God We Praise Thy Name

My mom and dad are never far from my thoughts.
I was born 16 years after my sister. There are no other siblings inbetween us so you can probably guess how much of a surprise I was for my parents. God blessed me with beautiful parents...but being born so late in their lives meant that I never knew any of my grandparents. I remember asking my mom if she missed her mom since she died so long before I was born. I can almost hear her saying to me, "I will always miss my ma and I still love her so very much, but time dulls the edge of the sorrow...and I know that I will see her again someday."

Today at Church we sang two songs that were sung at my parents' funeral Masses. 'How Great Thou Art' was sung at my father's Mass. I was caught of guard a bit because it isn't a hymn that you hear very often at Mass. But then the closing song...oh my, the thoughts of my dear mom came flooding back to me...'Holy God We Praise Thy Name'. This was the song I chose to be sung at mom's funeral as she was taken out of the Church for the last time. I remember so clearly following her casket down the very long aisle of St. Jerome's Church in my home town. I chose the song because mom used to keep a song book open to that song on our old piano after my dad died. I asked her why she always had the book open to that hymn. She said that as a young girl, she lost my grandma at 14 yrs old. Her whole life was thrown into a horrible, terrifying spin. She was displaced out of her home and had to live as a maid and nanny. She turned to Christ and the Blessed Mother for strength to help her through that hard time. She spent a lot of time in Church because she felt 'at home' there. :) One day, while walking into the Church, she heard the last line "Infinite thy vast domain, everlasting is thy reign." She thought that at that time, that group of words was the most beautiful, most comforting words she had ever heard. I remembered that and thought that she would have loved to have that hymn as her last one while here.
I love you mom.

The words are beautiful...and comforting. Thank you God, for giving me such beautiful, faithfilled parents. I miss them so much, but I let the words of this hymn comfort me too. Read them slowly, and thank God if you still have a mom and a dad to talk and listen to on the telephone. Call them up tonight and just ask how they are doing. Pray for them.

Jesus, I trust in You!

Holy God, We Praise Thy Name

Holy God, we praise they name; Lord of all, we bow before thee!
All on earth thy scepter claim, All in heav'n above adore thee;
Infinite, thy vast domain,
Everlasting is thy reign.
Infinite, thy vast domain,
Everlasting is thy reign.
Hark! the loud celestial hymn Angel choirs above are
raising; Cherubim and Seraphim, In unceasing chorus praising;
Fill the heav'ns with
sweet accord: "Holy, holy, holy Lord!"
Fill the heav'ns with
sweet accord: "Holy, holy, holy Lord!"
Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit, Three we name thee; While in
essence only One, Undivided God we claim thee;
And adoring, bend
the knee, while we own the mystery.
And adoring, bend
the knee, while we own the mystery.

I want to give proper credit for the words written here. It's written in German but I believe it was written by Grosser Gott in the 1800's.

2008 Presidential Election

Here is a quote for you to consider:

“No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a
proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion.”

Father John Corapi

We need to fight this fight...we need to see this slaughter stop. Just consider the issue, please. They are our children, and they need our voices.

Mary

Jesus, I trust in You!

The Beautiful Blessing of Friends

I have been thinking about friends. I am so thankful that God has everything under control. I took a chance tonight...I have been thinking about a friend of mine who I met 30 years ago. We were so close but like some friendships, our lives traveled down different roads. I have spent the last two hours (online) trying to find some hint of where she is now. I don't even know if she is married or not.
I think I found her...
I sent out a email and now I'll wait. I haven't seen her since my wedding day in 1988. God, if there be a reason for the thought of her to cross my mind tonight, I pray that You will continue to guide me and let me know the right things to say and do. I do know that she has not had the easiest life since I saw her last. At the very least, I know that everyone needs prayer. I will add her to my prayers tonight.

Mary

Jesus, I trust in You.

God's Precious Gift to Us

Children are such a blessing! There are so many times in the day where I am simply blown away by the words and actions of our children. My husband and I sometimes catch each other's eye when we both see the wonder and love of God in our children and we just smile at each other. I so love to see my husband's smile!
Thank you God!

And BTW...my oldest came back from college last night and this morning we were just chatting a bit. She looked at me and asked, "When are you guys going to Church this weekend?"
My heart started to beat a bit faster but I tried to remain calm...I told her, "9:00 a.m."
She replied, "I think I'll go with you this weekend."

Thank you God! Yes, I know it isn't everything...but I'll take just this little bit to start...and I'll keep praying her home!!!!!!!
Blessed Mother please don't let go of her hand. Lead her to your Son!!!

Mary

Jesus, I trust in You!

Okay Lord...I did say use me where You need me...

What do you do if you are falsely accused of something? You can apologize for the misunderstanding but I'm thinking that's about it...
Well, of course you can and should pray for that person. But where is the line drawn? In the future, does a person remain silent and allow the false accusations to continue? Wouldn't that be hurting yourself in the end if you remained silent and allowed the false words to continue? And here's another question...what if you express sorrow for the misunderstanding and the accuser doesn't seem to accept the heartfelt sorrow. Not meaning sorrow for the action (the action never happened, remember?), sorrow for the person and what she's going through.
Not sure if that last one made much sense. Can anyone help me out here?

I do know that this person's life is not the greatest...and now I'm understanding that she does have a lot of anger inside of her...
She needed to get her anger out and I was the target.
Of course, anyone who knows me will know that I have already forgiven her. I think she needs a friend.

Please Lord, be with her tonight and quiet her thoughts so that she can be all open to You and Your love. Completely fill her with peace so that she can heal from whatever is hurting her...help her understand what Your purpose is for her in this life and help her to appreciate every Blessing that You have so wonderfully given to her.

Peace to you, dear reader. God loves you so much. Think about all of your Blessings as you fall asleep tonight.

Keep leading me Lord. All my strength is You! I love You!
Mary

Jesus, I trust in You!

I am not sure what you call this, but I am just going to type what I am thinking because quite frankly, at this moment, my mind is overflowing with thoughts...

I am in awe of the way the Holy Spirit moves in, around, above, and all through me and especially through other people who just happen to be in my life. (Especially those who just come into my life for a bit and then just seem to move on to something else.)

Looking back on events and things that have happened in my life, I have come to know that God has truly been my Father--every single step of the way.

Vivid memories of mine:

-1970, practicing for my First Communion in the Church basement and holding my little white candle in front of me and singing with everyone, "This Little Light of Mine." Most of the kids were fooling around but I remember so clearly wanting to shine, shine, shine for Jesus! Mom and dad went to my sister's house after the practice and I wanted dad to light my candle again so I could walk into her house and sing loudly for my neices. I didn't get my candle lit, but I still sang. I remember being mad because everyone started talking and no one noticed me or my song. hhhmmmm.... :)

-1979, Dad had his first serious heart attacks. I was 16 and had just gotten my driver's license. The doctor came into the ICU waiting room and wanted to talk to me away from my mom's ears. He told me that my dad was dying. I was to take control and help my mom by preparing for the funeral and everything else. I didn't prepare for a funeral. I drove my dad's huge Ford home from the hospital and started calling people. I called my friends and everyone I could think of calling and asked everyone to pray for my dad. I don't remember much from that day except that I started calling Churches too. I don't know how many I called but I know that years later I remember my dad (after hearing how I had everyone praying for him) smiled his beautiful warm smile and said, "When I woke up, there were people around my bed praying for me and I didn't even know who they were!" BTW, dad died in 1998, still too early for me...but I am so grateful to God!!!!!! I would shout if I knew you could hear me!!!

-1983, UW-Milwaukee. I wanted God in my life but I wanted what I wanted! If He fit into my life that was fine, but I wanted to live life! I had started to attend a Bible study on Mark at the Neumann Center. The Sister who was there asked if I would like to participate in the feet washing on Holy Thursday. I didn't want to but she was nice and would drive us back to the dorm after the study so I didn't want to disappoint her. Right before I was to walk toward the front of the Church she approached me and said, "Your smile is so beautiful, you need to show people that beauty more often, show them Jesus!"

I didn't know what to do. I do know that now, at 45 yrs., I often remember what she said to me and I try to smile 'Jesus' to everyone, especially at school. Father, thank you for that Sister!

-1987, walking into my parent's home and finding my dear mom (70 yrs. old at the time) sitting on the top of the washing machine with her fingers outstretched as if counting...she had to sit on the washing machine so that it wouldn't "walk" across the floor during the spin cycle. She would tell me that she was praying the Rosary for me...for me to find what God had planned for me and to accept my life as He willed it for me.

I met my husband that year, six hours away from home on my first teaching job. Mom, I love you and miss you. Please keep praying for me and your beautiful grandchildren!

There are more, and my journey towards Jesus continues with every single breath I take. I thank God for everything. There are people in my life right now who are here for a reason...may I be of some inspiration to them as well as them to me.

I am tired...

Thank you for being in my life right at this moment.

Mary

Jesus, I trust in You!

My Fourth Born Blessing

Just had to share this...
My class will be working on a biography book project for the month of October. I was working on an example project tonight afterschool and my daughter Madeline was quietly watching me color and glue all of my pieces onto my posterboard. She had been with me at the library while I was trying to choose a person to read about for my biography. I chose Blessed Mother Teresa...I have read a few books about her which I have blogged about earlier and I wanted to share her with my students a bit more. As I was coloring and cutting, I remarked how I would so much love to be just like her. Maddie looked at me and said, "You know, Mama, you can really do that if you want to. Mother Teresa just loved God with all her heart and did what He wanted her to do."
She is eight.

Keep leading me Lord...Your Will be done in my life. Use me always...even when, no especially when I do not realize what I am doing! :)

Mary
Jesus, I trust in You!