I had the incredible honor to be part of the first ever online, self-paced Healing Retreat from the wonderful people at Pray More Novenas.
The retreat includes a total of six speakers, 20 talks, and 20 accompanying study guides. As the website explains, "Some of them are about healing from specific problems - things like anxiety and worry, addiction, abuse, miscarriage and divorce. Some are about healing the wounds of our heart, and learning our worth and dignity. Others are about God’s faithfulness in the darkest of times. Lastly, we also have a few talks about what to do when you don’t receive the healing you’ve been praying for and working towards."
Other speakers include: Maura Preszler, founder of Made in His Image
Amy Thomas from Catholic Pilgrim
Speaker and model Mario St. Francis
Gary Zimak from Following the Truth
Tim Glemkowski from L'Alto Catholic Institute
The retreat launches Monday and it would be awesome if you could join the 18,000+ people who have already signed up. I share James' story of his stillbirth, how he miraculously came back to life after being dead for an hour, and how I lean on God in the midst of suffering.
After a two tear hiatus I thought it was finally time to bring back:
The Sheenazing Awards are named for Venerable Fulton J. Sheen and are my attempt at honoring one of my favorite saints while recognizing the time, talent, and hard work that so many put in to building up the Kingdom of God through new media. Venerable Sheen was amazing at using the newest forms of media to communicate the beauty of the Catholic Church and his love of Christ to the world. I'm positive that, were he alive today, Sheen would have a blog, podcast, YouTube channel, and Instagram and Twitter accounts. I also believe that he is in Heaven, totally approving of this award. ;) I hold this little internet award because the internet can sometimes be a harsh place and I am grateful for all the blogs, podcasts, and social media accounts who shine Light into the darkness. The nominees will receive the knowledge that they are appreciated (and will hopefully gain some new followers, too!) The winners all receive a congratulatory email and a virtual handshake from me. What more could you want?!
The Rules: 1 - Nominations will only be taken for blogs and social media accounts written by Catholics who are faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church and believe that Pope Francis is the true pope.* 2 - Nominations should include the blog title and URL 3 - You can nominate up to two (2) blogs / social media accounts in each category but you don't have to nominate any if you are unfamiliar with a certain category. 4 - You can nominate yourself - no one but you and God will know. 5 - This is for fun, so have fun!
I'll gather nominations through Saturday, July 21st. I will then contact the nominees and official voting will begin on Friday, the 27th, unless something happens in my life and I cannot keep to this timeline. Because this isn't the Grammys or Oscars or even the Fisher's Net Awards. This is a mommy blogger standing at her kitchen counter during nap time. Sorry, nominations are now closed. Check back soon for voting! Previous winners can be found here. *A brief review of all nominated blogs is done to make sure they fulfill the first rule and are run by Catholics who are faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church and believe that Pope Francis is the true pope. If I missed something please email me with your concern.
What a week this has been! It's crazy how some times it feels like life is going at full speed and we are hustling from one thing to the next only to run into a long, slow pause in the day where grogginess and boredom seep in.
The slow pauses aren't all bad, though. They are were I have been finding time to read. My current book stack looks like this:
I've been enjoying A Wind in the Door which was given to me by a teacher friend who was purging her classroom bookshelves.
I read an older edition of Queen Bees and Wannabes a couple years ago but decided to go ahead and get the newest edition for my own bookshelf. This is the book that inspired Tina Fey to write Mean Girls and I have found it very helpful already.
I haven't started Loved as I Am but a friend dropped it off for me yesterday and I'm looking forward to jumping in since I love Sr. Miriam James' podcast.
Finally, Living Your Strengths - The Catholic Edition has been an interesting read! The test says my top five are Belief, Connectedness, Developer, Activator, and Adaptability but I know the last one is dead wrong. I didn't understand some of the questions and so answered them... well not in the truest sense of what they were getting at. I think my #5 might actually be Includer but I haven't finished the book yet so maybe something else will ring more true. If you've read the book and taken the test tell me what your Top Five are.
(PS - All of these books can be found at your local library or here.)
Speaking of books...
We are still making our way through the Harry Potter books. Well, L could not wait for us to listen to them - she had to know! - and she finished the 7th book yesterday. Ben is actively listening to the audio books and is on the 5th one. Occassionally the other kids will listen with him, and I often try to when I can (causing me to fall far behind in podcast-listening), but mostly it's Ben. When he's done we will allow Ben and L to watch The Order of the Phoenix movie. JF, who has been having nightmares about "spooky castles," and the younger kids will not be allowed to watch until they are older and have read / listened to the books. I know there's a lot of people who don't like Harry Potter, and I totally understand and respect that stance, but I have loved those books and characters for so long and it's been such a joy to share them with my kids and to really talk about the themes, plots, humor, and such with them.
We've had really fun family movie nights with the first four movies. We even made "wands" as a snack. I dipped the pretzel rods in melted chocolate (Enjoy Life! brand chocolate chips + a bit of Earth Balance "butter" + some coconut milk) and then let the kids add whatever toppings they wanted. It was fun and all the kids enjoyed the added treat to the normal popcorn.
On the 4th of July we went to my in-laws home for their small town's celebration. It was so flippin' hot but we still went to the park and watched the parade. I came home with the two little ones but Travis and the five older kids stayed for fireworks, which were fabulous - or so the kids said.
Earlier this week L went back to the cardiologist to have a one-year follow up appointment. Her echo looked good, she looked good, everything looked good. Interesting fact: before her open heart surgery a year ago L was in the 65th percentile for height and the 35th percentile for weight. Now that her heart is not working triply hard she is in the 63rd percentile for height and weight. Isn't that amazing?!
Oh! One more thing before I forget - right now shipping is free for all the items in the Blessed Is She shop! This deal ends on Sunday and if you haven't purchased a planner yet but were wanting to this is the best deal you're gonna get! My affiliate link is right here - thank you so much for using it!
So that's that - everything I wanted to get out of my head and down "on paper." I love these little potluck posts where there's a little of this and a little of that and mostly it's just the best parts of my life showing up. You know, like a potluck.
Today's Gospel was about the woman with the hemorrhage. You know the story: for twelve years this woman had suffered but she had heard of Jesus the Nazarene. She believed that if she could just touch the hem of his cloak she could be healed.
Our pastor preached a beautiful homily then, first explaining how the woman would have been considered unclean, untouchable for all those years. He then told the story of an elderly woman at his last parish who greeted him after each Mass with a giant bear hug. Father always hugged her back, with an equal amount of gusto, and when he was reassigned she told him that single Sunday hug was the only hug she received every week.
Father explained how so many people walk around unloved - untouchable -and he encouraged us to look around us to see who they are in our lives. He asked us to reach out to them, include them, love them. He encouraged us to hug them.
His homily really affected me and I can't shake it. Perhaps I was primed for this lesson. I've been catching up on the Certifiably Catholic podcast and the episode "How to love those hard-to-love people" really impacted me as well. I listened to it. Turned it off and pondered their words in my heart, considering if there are people I could love better. And then I listened to it again.
Do you ever listen to and think about an idea in such a way that if feels like you're picking up the words, turning them over in your hands, and examining them from each angle? It feels slow and almost like twilight.
I know there are people in my life who are hard to love. I know I often pretend I am too busy to love them because that's just easier and in many ways I am still a selfish jerk.
But as I turned this all over in my heart and mind I realized that loving them is an opportunity for my Grinch-sized heart to grow. That might sound lovely but I know it will hurt. It will be full of awkwardness and pain and frustration and relinquishing again and again my will, my preferences, my comfort. Slaying the ugly beasts of laziness and selfishness is a long, ongoing battle.
In his homily Father said that we could bring healing to the hearts and lives of the people who are broken and wounded and I couldn't help but think that by choosing to love someone God really would invite us to be brought into a deeper intimacy with His Sacred Heart. And certainly as that happens I will love more joyfully so that the friendship becomes a reward itself, at least that is my hope.
I am certain there are people who think I'm hard-to-love and want nothing to do with me and I don't think any of this is to say that God is calling me to be best friends with a hard-to-love person. I mean, maybe He is, but I think this is more about changing perceptions, opening hearts, and appreciating people for who they are. I think it is first and foremost about love. It is about God.
But I'm still turning this all over. If you have any thoughts I'd love to hear them.
I'm linking up with the wonderful Kelly at This Ain't the Lyceum for one of my favorite old school blogging events: Seven Quick Takes Friday
- ONE -
The first time I heard this song I thought it was Peter Gabriel. It's Francis and the Lights featuring Chance the Rapper, though if you listen you have to give it to me: it sounds a lot like Peter Gabriel, amiright?
Man, do I love this one.
- TWO -
This summer I signed myself and the kids up for the Summer Reading Program at the local library. I count any time spent listening to the Harry Potter audio books, reading to my kids, and these babies here. Along with my Bible, these are the books I'm reading.
Orthodoxy has been hard for me - it's so dense with it's page long paragraphs - but I'm sticking with it because those truth bombs he drops are so, so good.
I've really enjoyed re-reading Sense and Sensibility for the first time in years. I often find myself laughing out loud and unable to explain why to my kids. Jane Austen would surely not approve but I'm just not as clever.
Who Does He Say You Are? is an incredible book and I'm so glad I picked it up. I highly recommend it to read by yourself or in a group. Super good.
A Wrinkle in Time is one I read in middle school and re-reading it now I'm shocked that it was part of my 6th grade public school curriculum with all the talk about Jesus and quoting Scripture. I'm gonna guess that Oprah's version of the movie changes some of that. True?
- THREE -
My friend Nell gifted us with the sweetest little dress for sweet little MJ. The material has a Secret Garden print on it and is soft and stretchy and just lovely. I wanted to share it with you because Nell's re-stocking her Etsy shop - Whole Parenting Goods - with all kinds of sweet dresses just like this. The shop re-opens at 10am CST on Monday with it's limited stock so be sure you check it out Monday morning for first dibs! You can get a preview on her Instagram account and if you sign up for her shop's newsletter you'll get a coupon code this weekend! Everything I've gotten from Nell's shop has been top quality and super adorable. I promise you'll love it!
- FOUR -
Tomorrow morning is the first meeting for the Blessed Is She summer study I'm holding with women from the area. I'm only cleaning my living room and bathroom. That's totally legit, right?
I baked these little rectangular gingerbread cookies so I could pipe sweet little pretty things on them to serve with the coffee. The rectangles look wompy and wiggly and who knows if I'll have time to pipe anything on them in the morning. I'll post it on Instagram if I do and then you can see how unimpressive they turn out to be. ha!
Update: here they are! Roses, Fiats, and Marian symbols. You can almost hear the trombones playing, can't you? Womp, womp, woooooommmp!
And as an aside, if you're looking for a good gingerbread cookie use these from Mary Haseltine. Such a great recipe. We use Crisco and egg replacer and they still are amazing!
- FIVE -
My new planner arrived and I started filling in important dates for August. First day of school, you guys! It's on the calendar! Also, see those pens lined up in a row? That's how I organize my life.
Black = whole family
Silver = Travis
Gold = Me
Purple = L
Orange = Ben
Blue = JF
Pink = Resa
Green = Jofis
Red = Tee
Periwinkle = MJ
So this way I only have to write the what, when, & where on the calendar and not the person because the color tells me the who. It's really nice.
And if you're still looking for a planner Tea with Tolkien did a very nice review of some really popular brands. She was fair and honest about all the pros and cons, and the Blessed Is She planners (regular and mini) are included.
- SIX -
I know I just talked about the beginning of the new school year when summer isn't even half way done yet. We've had a good run so far and I thought I'd share some highlight pictures:
Trying to win a free vacation from a local radio station. We're shameless.
Sprinkler parks: fun and free. The heat index was over 100 this day so I put on my suit, too.
Our very dear neighbor volunteers at a local museum and we were so happy to get a special tour from him.
Corpus Christi procession - Ben was asked to help carry the canopy and he was so honored. Nervous, excited, and so honored.
The fair came to town and we made the kids clean the whole house and then we took them.
- SEVEN -
Just a reminder about the Kickstarter campaign for Catholic musician Matt Faley's next album. Go, back it, and then make sure you let me know so I can enter you to win some of the suh-weet prizes that are special just for my blog readers. You won't be sorry you did!
Thirteen years ago I was using the powder room in someone's home. I had never been there before so when I walked in I was a little surprised to see a large statue of Our Lady displayed on a shelf above the toilet.
As I rejoined my hosts I commented, "I like the Our Lady of the Loo statue you have," a bit of a cheeky grin on my face. They laughed and explained how it was a wedding gift and they hadn't known where else to put it (there was religious art *all over* their home) so they put her in the powder room. It worked!
Our Lady of the Loo has stayed with me ever since, at least the idea of her.
I don't think this is actual theology, this whole making up whatever name one wants for Mary, but it has given me lots of little inside jokes with the Holy Family over the years and has helped me to keep laughter and the Lord in my heart and home.
In the hallway, across from my toddler's door, hangs an icon I have dubbed Our Lady of the Eye Roll because when I'm having a hard time with my toddler I often roll my eyes as a way of communicating to her how stressed out I am. She sees me at my worst.
On my dresser stands Our Lady of the NICU. She holds her Infant, her crown is broken, and her dress is sticky from the residue of hospital tape that secured her to my son's neonatal intensive care unit bassinet. She holds memories of my hardest days and worst fears and prays for the trauma of it all.
I thought of this little way of mine when I was clearing off the dining room table after lunch. I sat the salt and pepper shakers on the buffet, which triples as our liquor cabinet and family altar. When I saw where I had placed them I smiled and said, "Our Lady of the Salt and Pepper Shakers, pray for us."
I hope everyone understands that this isn't me making fun of Mary or her titles. In fact doing this has brought me closer to the Blessed Mother as she meets me in these small, mundane moments of my every day life. The religious art in my home becomes an entry into prayer instead of a decoration and always, always Mary does what she does best and she uses these moments to draw me closer to the Heart of her Son.
Nothing is too small to be loved by Jesus. Nothing is too boring to be brought to His attention. But it is often in those little moments where I most need Mary's prayers to guide me, I need her presence to remind me.
And so the serendipitous placing of Lego creations on a shelf so they can be proudly displayed by my older children while protected from my younger children becomes a moment to laugh and then pray.
Our Lady of the Legos, pray for me that I will delight in my children. Pray for me that I will nurture their creativity and confidence and the knowledge of when to try harder and when to let it go. Pray for me that I will encourage them to share and work together and support one another. Pray for me that I will detach myself from the desire for perfection and will place more value in my children than in a decorated, tidy home. And Lord have mercy when I step on a Lego and curse. +
And then I leave it in her hands, confident that her prayers for me will continue throughout my day.
Please know that Marian theology and devotion has not always been easy for me. When other Catholics would gush about Our Lady I just didn't get it. I respected her as the mother of my Lord, but there wasn't a ton of intimacy.
Our Lady of the Loo changed all that for me. She was the beginning of a beautiful relationship which has grown through the years to a place where Mary is friend, mother, confidant, companion, mentor, and prayer warrior. And so I share my names for her with you in case this helps you to love her more, to aid you so that you will let her love you more. Her love has been such a great gift in my life. Thanks be to God.
PS - While writing this post I remembered the beautiful work that Christy Mandin creates. Her images of Mary are some of my favorites ever. You can check her out at A Creative Almanac, though most of her Marian prints are found on her inprnt store. The above image of Our Lady of Solidarity was created in response to the immigration crisis at the border. Christy is donating a portion of the profits of each copy sold to Together Rising's efforts at caring for the children and families there. What's more, inprnt has promised to match her donation!
Recently I hosted a Blessed Brunch in my home and I received quite a few questions from women such as "Is it easy to do?" "What are the expectations?" and "Who came?" These questions came from local friends and strangers online but there were a lot of them so I wanted to share what my experience was like in case you, too, have been looking to build some friendships and were wondering if a Blessed Brunch was the way to do it.
To begin, I went to the Midwest Region Blessed Is She Facebook group and asked if there was any interest in my area in having a BIS group to meet over the summer to do one of the Mystery Studies with me. When I learned that women were interested I signed up on the BIS website to host a Brunch, which I then publicized on my personal Facebook page and in the Midwest Regional Group. I thought a Brunch was a nice way to kick-off the Study but a Blessed Brunch can definitely be a stand alone thing.
And then Blessed Is She did a lot of the work for me. They put the link to sign up for the Brunch on their page and emailed me with info every time someone signed up. With each email I received I would then contact the woman who had registered, telling her how happy I was that she was coming; reminding her of the date, time, and that lap babies were welcome; and sharing my address with her.
The day before the brunch I did my shopping, some cleaning, and some prep work. I bought paper plates and plastic cups, orange juice (I bought two but only one was drunk), creamer, and some chocolates. I used paper napkins that were left over from my son's First Communion, our regular forks, and coffee cups. I borrowed white tablecloths and a long folding table from my mom. I cut some flowers from my yard, cleaned my bathroom and kitchen, dusted my living and dining rooms, and vacuumed.
The morning of my husband loaded up the kids and off they went for about three hours. I brewed some coffee, set out ice water, put on this Spotify playlist, and set out these Encourage Scripture cards. Now, Blessed Is She emails the host a sign in sheet for the guests, a suggested prayer to lead others in, an outline for the brunch so you know what to do when, and suggested discussion topics but I wanted to do something a little extra. Upon their arrival, I invited my guests to go through the Scripture verses and choose the one that spoke to them the most. Then, at brunch we went around and introduced ourselves and shared with Scripture card we picked and why. It allowed women to share parts of their stories that they wouldn't have otherwise and I'm so glad the Holy Spirit put that idea in my head. I then invited everyone to take home their card to frame, tape to their mirror, or stick in their Bible.
I don't share that with you so you feel like you need to do something like it too but so you know that it's okay to vary a bit from the provided script! If the Holy Spirit nudges us to do something we should follow!
We did use the discussion questions that were provided by Blessed Is She but there was also lots of time to just chat and get to know one another. Just about every age and stage of woman was there - single, married, pregnant, postpartum, grandmother, working, stay-at-home, small family, adoptive mom, big family, and on and on. Some of the women I know very well, some I know casually, and some I met for the very first time. It was so nice to have such a great mix!
Because I knew I wanted to do one of the Mystery studies I set out my copies next to the sign-in sheet. I also put out some holy cards and the chocolates for women to take if they wanted. In the last twenty or so minutes I invited everyone interested in doing a Study to sign in and look at the Studies to get a feel for which one they'd like to do. Then we closed in prayer. Everyone packed up their items and it was done. It was a wonderful morning! Everything ran smoothly and next week we will begin our Summer Study of the Luminous Mysteries.
The Blessed Brunch almost ran itself and was such a wonderful event. If you are interested in starting something in your area I would really encourage you to pray about it and then take the leap if God is calling you to do it! You won't regret it!
PS - If you are interested you can join a Blessed Is She Regional Facebook group here and you can sign up to attend or host a Blessed Brunch here. If you want to buy the Mystery studies for yourself you can do that here.
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