Romans 8:32

Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

I am amazed when people say that don't believe in God.  How can you see the wonderment around you and not believe?  I don't know how any person who has a child could not believe that there is a greater power creating that life.  I always have an ultrasound at 6 weeks pregnant.  Do you know what a baby looks like at 6 weeks in utero?  It looks like an egg with a yolk and inside that yolk is a tiny flicker the size of a grain of rice.  It is hard to see and certainly the effects of the pregnancy are most likely not setting in either, but this little life has a beating heart!

Before that baby even begins to resemble a baby, it has a beating heart, flickering with the life that the Holy Spirit has breathed into it.  This baby is a life, it has a mind, feelings, love, and a personality, even if it's not fully developed yet.  God has created this tiny, miraculous, beautiful life.  How amazing!  I look at my children and still can't wrap my head around their journey from conception until now.  It amazes me that something so small can grow and change so rapidly and that each life, each person, can be so different.  It's not just a coincidence.  It's Him!

God watched His own son Jesus Christ grow from that tiny grain of rice into a grown man.  He watched Him suffer and die so we all could reap the rewards.  How can a God be so great that He would sacrifice His greatest gift so that we could experience eternal life?  A God that is that generous and good, would certainly answer our prayers so we could experience great joy.  Thank you God for the gifts you bestow upon us, none greater than the gift of eternal life.  Please help us, as a society, understand the value of the lives you create from the moment they are created.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

1 Peter 2:15, 16

1 Peter 2:15, 16
For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.  Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

There are many misconceptions about the Catholic church and faith.  It is mind boggling to me how many people have preconceived notions of the church and what it teaches.  I am always amazed at how easily people attack the faith and how often.  My SIL said to me the other day when we were discussing this, "The devil knows the truth and he attacks it, that's why the Catholic faith is constantly being attacked and tested."  I had never looked at it that way before but I completely agree with her.

In order to silence the critics, we must use our free will to defend the faith by doing that which the faith teaches us to do.  We must follow Him and show how beautiful the Church is.  We were given the free will to obey or disobey, follow or stray, love or hate.  Let's silence our critics by loving them enough to show them the truth of the Church.  We will "catch more bees with honey than vinegar".  Our faith is so sweet and satisfying to the soul, let's share it with those who have not been blessed enough to experience it.

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Busy Mommy Blogger

Psalms 116:1, 2

Psalms 116:1, 2
I love the Lord, because He hears My voice and my supplications.  Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.

I love that the Lord knows what I need before I even ask for it.  He knows me better than I know myself and He is always there to listen to me.  I like to pray when it gets really quiet, like when I'm falling asleep at night and I like to pray when things are so chaotic I feel like I might lose my mind.  I like to pray when I am doing a job I abhor.  I like to pray when I am doing something I love.  I like to pray at home and in the car.  I like to pray when I am by myself and when I am getting lost in a crowd.

No matter where I am or what the prayer, He is listening!  Sometimes it feels like He isn't.  That's why I was so angry during my first year of marriage.  I didn't feel like He was listening to my prayers for a healthy baby.  He always hears us, He is always listening to us.  Are we always listening to Him?  He was trying to tell me that I wasn't ready.  He is always preparing us for what is to come and even though He hears our prayers, we need to be open to His path for us.  We need to understand that we will not receive what we are not prepared to receive.

It is hard to accept that maybe what we are praying for isn't what we really need.  I try to stay away from specifics like praying for a new job or things of that nature.  I try to pray for things in general like instead of asking God to help me find a new job I might instead ask Him to help me find joy or success at my current job or ask Him to lead me to my next place of employment and be thankful for the preparation until I get there.  I want to be open to what He has planned for me and not stifle His vision by getting lost in what I think I want.  I try to remember that He has bigger dreams for me than I could ever dream for myself.

I love that no matter how often I pray, He is listening.  I love that no matter where I pray, He is listening.  I love that no matter what I am praying for, He is listening.  Now, I need to make sure I am listening too.  Dear God, help me be open to your voice.  Thank you for being my rock and my salvation!

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

1 Peter 4:16

1 Peter 4:16
but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.

Anyone who believes strongly in something will have to defend it many times over in their life.  Your faith is no different.  Since Jesus first was conceived, people have been defending Him and the faith He brought to us.  Look at those who have come before us, all the saints who have died in His name.  People have suffered for their faith, for the right to believe and the right to practice it.  People now are so scared to even claim it.

I have heard people say, "Well, I'm Catholic, but I don't go to church." or "I'm Lutheran but haven't practiced in years."  They say it in a way that makes it seem like they are trying to distance themselves from their faith, from a stereotype, from being "that" person.  It's not "cool" to be devoted to your faith.  It's not "cool" to love, adore, and live by your faith.

Well, I guess I'm not cool.  I don't shove my faith or my beliefs onto others but I don't hide it either.  I am happy to discuss my faith.  I am happy to explain why I choose to do or not do something.  I am excited to pass the gift of the faith on to my children.  I am not ashamed, I am proud.  Thank you God for the gift of Your faith.  Help me to defend my faith when I am called to.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

1 Thessalonians 5:15

1 Thessalonians 5:15
See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

It's funny, I was talking to my six year old about something very similar the other day.  My son did something to his sister that was rude and I told him we don't treat people like that in our house.  I told him that we respond with love and kindness.  And that if that wasn't possible, that we just don't respond at all.  My six year old chimed in, "Yeah, but you can be mean to someone only if they are mean to you first."  I quickly and gently corrected her and reiterated what I had just told my son.  It is never ok to be mean to someone, even if they are the ones who are mean first. 

Responding to evil with evil only continues the cycle of evil.  When you respond to evil with love, kindness, or even ambivalence, you are breaking the cycle.  You are choosing to discontinue the projection and absorption of evil.  It isn't easy, what's right never is.  Regardless, we have to set a different example for our children who will learn how to react and respond through our own reactions and responses.  It is easier to say than to do and I understand that but I think if we have the desire to not allow that which is evil to penetrate our skin that we are already ahead in our defense of evil.

We need to stand strong in our faith and in Him.  We need to understand that no evil can shake us because He is holding us firm.  We need to be an example of His everlasting love for us by choosing not to respond to evil with evil but to respond to evil with kindness.  No one can hurt us when He is protecting us.  No one can break us when He is holding us together.  Evil can be like an outbreak, spreading quickly throughout the community, but so can love. 

I have said before that when I was going through my most difficult and dark time in my life, I was not pleasant to be around for anybody.  I'm sure that I was spreading and responding with evil to the world around me.  When I found a parish that responded to me with love, His love, I felt my trajectory changing.  Let's change the trajectory of those around us because so many times that evil is a reflection of a person in pain.  Instead of trying to harm, let's try to heal.  Please God, help me to see through the evil and respond with love.  Thank You for sending me Your love in my time of pain when I was responding with evil.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Ecclesiastes 5:15

Ecclesiastes 5:15
As he had come naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came.  He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.

It's funny because I have said to my husband in the past, "I see so many people acquiring more 'stuff' and we are acquiring more 'people'"  I really don't care about the fancy in life.  I want a house we can fit our family in, a car we can fit our family in, a school that meets our faith and educational needs, food on the table, clothes on our back.  In other words, I am perfectly happy with the basics.  I would rather be able to afford another beautiful person in our family than a vacation.

God has taught us not to put value in things.  We will not take them with us when we die, we won't even take our bodies!!  But we will take our souls and we will be judged on how we treated those around us.  I'm not saying it's wrong to enjoy "things", I'm saying it's better to enjoy people.  It's the relationships we have with others that bring meaning into our lives.  We should focus on how we treat the people around us and building our relationships with those that we love, it's the love we will take with us when we leave.

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Busy Mommy Blogger

Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah 41:10
'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Let us lean on Him in our times of need.  It is easy to get lost in the angst and worry of everyday life.  How long will this illness last?  How will we pay our bills?  How will we care for this child?  Everybody has something to cause them concern.  Let us give our concerns to God.  He will care for us in our darkest times.  He will help us navigate the most terrifying storm.  He will help us climb the steepest mountain.  If we listen, He will lead.  Lets us turn to Him and allow Him to keep us afloat.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

2 Corinthians 5:19, 20

2 Corinthians 5:19, 20
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

God speaks through all of us.  We are His children and we are all ambassadors for Him.  We should work on spreading His word through our love.  I don't walk around trying to evangelize protestants, Jews, Muslims, etc., but I am open to talking about my faith with anyone who will listen.  I wear my faith on my "sleeve" so to speak, and do not try to hide or flaunt it.  There were people in my life who offered me flickers of faith.  They did not press their faith down on me but were open, willing, and ready to enlighten me.  When I was ready, when God had prepared me, I turned to those people.

I am always trying to find the balance in parenting.  I don't want to suffocate my children but I don't want them wandering on their own either.  I want them to feel safe to explore their environment and who they are and know that I am behind them gently guiding them when needed.  I consider spreading the faith in the same fashion.  I don't need to push my beliefs onto or get into theological arguments with others, but I do try to send out little "flickers" of my faith to those who are misinformed.  I pray that all people are able to reconcile themselves to God and I am open to being His ambassador.  I like to find moments when I can insert my faith into the conversation and start people's minds thinking.

Please God help me to enlighten those in need.  Thank you for sending me the people in my life who were patient and capable of bringing enlightenment into my life.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Philippians 2:3, 4

Philippians 2:3, 4
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Imagine how beautiful the world would be if we truly behaved as this scripture implores us to?  Imagine people helping others rather than hurting others.  Imagine people building each other's self esteem rather than insulting them.  Imagine people being generous with their homes, services, finances, and hearts, rather than being stingy with them.  Imagine people wanting to see everyone succeed rather than hoping others will fail.

I can only imagine...What a beautiful world that would be.  I plead with you all to start a new trend with yourselves and your children.  Let's teach our children the value of kindness, love, patience, and humility.  Let's teach our children to have chastity, diligence, and temperance.  Let's start a new movement in our space so that it can spread to spaces around us as rampant as a wild fire.  Just like anything, it only takes one to start something grand.  For everything there is a beginning.  The Bible starts, "In the beginning...".  We begin our lives as the tiniest of molecules and have a beating heart before any other parts begin to form.  Everything bad, everything good, has a beginning.  Let's have the beginning of treating people the way Jesus implores us to start right now.

We don't all have to agree.  We don't all have to have the same views.  We don't all have to make the same choices.  We do all have to treat each other with respect, all people deserve respect.  Respect is not approval.  Respect is an understanding that everyone deserves His love and that His love starts with us.

 

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you will join us

And the world will be as one

 Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you will join us

And the world will live as one

Imagine by John Lennon



 

Isaiah 1:18

Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

Before I learned about my faith, I had the misunderstanding of confession that a lot of people have.  I thought well, what is the point?  I can go and do whatever I want, confess, be forgiven, and then return to doing whatever I want.  Sorry, it doesn't work that way.  I find myself defending Catholics' ability to be cleaned of sin through confession often.  Some ask, "Why go to a priest, when I can go directly to God with my sins?"  Sure, you can and should confess directly to God, before confessing them to a priest.  The priest is there as a mediator between you and God, preforming a miracle washing us of our sins, cleaning our souls so that we can be open to His grace. You can confess directly, and He will hear you, but your soul will not be cleaned.

I have had others say to me, "Confession is meaningless.  I do what I want, confess, am forgiven and then go do what I want again."  This is so wrong I don't even know where to start.  Well first, confession has to be true in your heart before you can utter it to God.  You have to truly feel regret and have a desire to change the behavior.  If you think you are fooling God, well, then you have greater misconceptions than I can address right now.  Your sins can only be forgiven if the confession is a true desire for forgiveness and change.

I was amazed when I read about the sacrament of confession because after my first true confession, I wanted to run back in the room with things I had forgotten to confess.  But I learned that if the desire to be forgiven was in my heart, that God already forgave me!  He forgives us for that which we confess and for those that we may forget to confess but have a true desire to confess.  He has already taken into account our humanness by understanding that we can be forgetful.

Confession is so meaningful and such a gift.  I am amazed that our God is so loving that He would give us such a wonderful gift that we can have anytime we choose!  He didn't say, "you may only confess ten times in your lifetime so make them count!"  He allows us to ask forgiveness anytime our desire is true and He forgives without question!  Do we do that for others who apologize to us?  I never feel lighter than after a confession and I never feel more open to hearing His voice either.

Confession is humbling, that's why I think people don't want to partake.  No one likes to be told they aren't doing everything right.  But if we can go to our priests and confess our sins, admitting we have done wrong, then doesn't it open the door to doing the same with the people in our lives?  If you can admit the worst about yourself to Him, then can't you say sorry to your spouse, children, neighbors, coworkers?  We are not perfect and He knows it, He created us with the ability to sin.  We are tempted daily and sometimes we abstain and sometimes we give in but He allows us to ask and be forgiven if our desire is pure.

Thank you God for the gift of confession.  Help me to humble myself today and ask for Your forgiveness.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Isaiah 26:9

Isaiah 26:9
At night my soul longs for You, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; For when the earth experiences Your judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

He is always calling us to be nearer to Him.  In all the things we say and do, He wants us to be closer to Him.  Even if we want to try to deny this need, we will feel Him pulling us.  There is a longing deep within us to be closer to our Father, just like any child, we want a relationship with our Creator.  And just like children, we can be stubborn, insolent, and defiant.  We can deny the longing deep within us to be with Him but there will always be a part of us seeking Him and His approval of us.

We are the prodigal sons and daughters of Our Lord.  We will always return to Him with our heads bowed and He will always welcome us back with open arms and a voice of forgiveness.  That is what I love about our Faith.  No matter how delinquent we have become, He will always forgive us, if the regret is true and sincere.  He gave us the gift of confession to clear our souls, to open up our spirits to accept His grace.  The beauty of this awes me!

We are all awaiting the return of the Messiah.  Whether we meet Him at Peter's gate before He meets us here on earth is no matter, we will experience His judgment, that is why He is constantly trying to get through to us, whispering to us, tugging at us.  We can try to deny our longing for Him.  We can claim happiness, success, and riches but none will makes us feel more fulfilled than Our Lord.  They are like candy bars that tide us over between meals but He is like a decadent chocolate cake filled with ganache and topped with icing.  Just one taste can fill us up for the entire day.  And when you think about it, would you rather have an ordinary candy bar with claims of satisfaction that you can find at any corner store, or would you rather have a specially made treat that you may have to search to find, but once tasted is never able to be forgotten?

When you lay your head down at night, or find yourself in the quietness of the day, be open to Him and you will hear Him calling you.  If you feel like you can't hear Him the first time, try again, prove your desire.  He is always trying to reach us and we can ignore Him and deny Him, but He will never stop trying to get through to us.  "He will come to judge the living and the dead".  We hear these words in mass every Sunday.  I want to do everything I can to please Him because when I am judged, I want to have as little to answer for as possible.  Thank you God for calling me each and every day and pulling me closer to You so that I can be filled with Your grace.  Help me be an obedient child rather than a stubborn delinquent.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Romans 8:31

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who is against us?

There are many out there interested in attacking us because of our beliefs.  None of that matters because the only one we need in our corner is God.  We are here to please Him and follow His law.  I encourage the opportunity to defend my faith to those who misunderstand it.  I don't get angry at others who don't understand, we all have moments of enlightenment and I lived much of my life in the dark.  I encourage the opportunity because if I can be the one to make the lights flicker for someone else, I would be grateful.

There are people in my life that I know have my back if someone tries to hurt me.  My mother, my husband, my grandparents, friends, etc.  But noone holds more power than God.  Does it matter who wishes to see me fail or who tries to cut me down with snarky words when God is my support?  I put very little value on how others "value" me.  What is most important is how my God "values" me.  He is my strength and I am His soldier.  If God is for me, no one is against me.

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Busy Mommy Blogger

Joshua 1:8

Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

I love this scripture!  It is not enough to just hear the word of God on Sundays.  We need to hear the word of God everyday.  I don't mean just read a passage, or parts of the Old Testament or the New Testament.  We need to read it, reread it, digest it, reflect on it, and share it with others.  I just started doing this and I can't express how it has changed the way I journey through each day.  My husband was the one who put an app on his phone that gave him a piece of scripture to reflect on.  He would then send me scripture that seemed to really speak to him.  It went on like that for a while until I heard a voice telling me to do the same and, voila, my Daily Scripture blog began.

I don't know how many people actually read and/or are moved by this blog each day but what I love most about it is that it gives me the opportunity to really hear the word of God by reading it, rereading it, reflecting on it, and sharing it!  When I force myself to stop and take even ten minutes for the scripture, it's amazing how each time I am able to see how it relates to pieces of my life.  Our faith is a total body experience.  It is an experience that requires us to use all five senses.  Just look at the mass.

In mass we hear beautiful music, hymns, psalms, organs, pianos, and voices.  We can literally hear the word of God and hear our neighbors in unison with us as we all participate in the mass.  The use of our sense of sight is obvious as we watch Father perform the greatest miracle we will ever witness right before our very eyes.  I love looking around church and seeing familiar faces and the array of people who have chosen to attend.  We are all so different but seeking the same.  I love the smell of the candles in church, when they are being lit and when they are extinguished.  I love the time of the year when incense is wafted through the air.  I LOVE Sundays when there are baptisms.  The smell of the oils is so beautiful.

We use our sense of touch when we hold the hands of our family members during the Our Father, or when we clasp our own hands in front of us in prayer.  But most of all, we use our sense of touch when we clasp the hands of those around us offering a sincere sign of peace.  I always think of this small gesture as a tiny way to say a prayer for each person I am close enough to shake hands with.  Last is our sense of taste.  I have to admit that being slightly weary of germs keeps me from consuming the Holy Blood from the cup that is offered, which after much research, I found that I need only partake in consuming the Holy Eucharist or the Holy Blood because both are considered The Body and Blood of Christ.  However, the consumption of the Holy Eucharist is the one action that truly unites us with Jesus Christ and the experience is one that moves me every time. 

God calls us to partake in our faith, to not be a passive parishioner.  We are His children and we are to connect with our Father each and every day, just as we would our earthly parents.  I don't have time to call my mother and father every day but that doesn't mean that they aren't in my thoughts.  God should always be at the forefront of our minds and we should take time each day to digest his words, not just read them, consume them and regurgitate them.  Thank you God for allowing us to experience you with all of our senses!

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Galations 1:10

Galations 1:10
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God?  Or am I striving to please men?  If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ.

We all have people to please in our lives.  We need to please our neighbors by having a kept yard and not being disruptive.  We need to please bosses and coworkers with diligent work and pleasant interactions.  We need to please friends and loved ones with thoughtfulness.  There are many people we come in contact with each day that we need to please but none is more important than God. 

We should never worry more about pleasing people in our lives or society than we are about pleasing God.  We should never feel more pressured to please others than the pressure we feel to please God.  The pleasing we do for the people in and around our lives is on a much more superficial level than the pleasing we strive for in our lives for God.   There is no judgment more important than His.

This doesn't mean you ignore the people in your life, or carry yourself with an air of not caring about others.  It simply means that if we worry ourselves with whether or not we are pleasing Him, we will please those around us in the process.  And there will be those who do not appreciate the way with which we live our lives but we wouldn't change the way we do things to please those people if it wasn't also pleasing to God.

We have to face the facts that there are people around us who don't appreciate how we choose to run our lives or value that we have God at the center of our lives.  We need not try to change them with words but we can simply show them with our actions how our faith and living by the faith is what God is imploring us to do.  We all have free will, we will all most likely stray, but having and being a role model for others around us, will hopefully bring us all back to Him.

There will always be people in our lives that we will have to pacify.  I believe this is fine and necessary so long as we are not being made to do things against our core values.  Approval of those around us is nice but His approval is the only one that is needed.  I truly believe that if we live our lives by His rules, we will gain the respect and approval we seek from others as well.  And if we don't, well, then maybe their moral compass is not pointing the same direction as ours.  I try to lead my life with the love and understanding He calls us to have for others and do my best to model my faith.  I don't feel like I have to explain myself to others but I welcome the opportunity to!

Please God help me to please you today.  Help me be a model of a loving, faithful, and tolerant Christian to my children and others in my life.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Psalm 84:10

Psalm 84:10
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.  I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of the wickedness.

When I read this I think back to the days when I faced the most temptations, high school.  It seemed like everywhere I turned, there was someone promising me rewards of money, popularity, joy, or a way to escape reality.  People try to lure you in with things that appear great and grand, like a mirage.  Once you hold it in your hands, experience it with your own body, you realize, the reward is not what had been promised to you.  Like Snow White biting into a crisp, red apple that is filled with harmful poison, things can seem much better than they are.  And at the tender age of a high schooler, I didn't have the cognitive ability to understand than every decision I made could change my life forever.

I am blessed.  God looked out for me when I wasn't looking out for myself.  I read this Psalm and I understand.  I would rather be at the foot of God's house, shivering, hungry, and tired than being cared for in a warm, cozy tent of wickedness.  If I am living my life with Him and for Him, I will always be cared for, truly cared for.  That doesn't mean I won't want for things, it doesn't mean I won't have suffering, it doesn't mean I won't experience pain and hardships.  It means that God understands what I need in my life to improve who I am as a person.  He understands what experiences I need to grow.  The wickedness doesn't care about me and when I am in a place of need, the wickedness won't take care of me.  The wickedness is like a fair weather friend, there when times are good, nowhere to be found when times are bad.

Thank you God for being a true friend, one who is by my side when I need You most.  Help me to stray from temptation and not be fooled by falsehoods.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

2 Timothy 1:7

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

I am a very shy person, but being shy does not make me timid.  I stand up for that which I believe in, I love passionately for those in my life, and being disciplined, well, I'll just say I'm working on that one!  I feel like God is telling us in this scripture not to be scared of what's out there in the world.  This scripture is especially meaningful for those who are about to embark on a new adventure like a new school year, college, job changes, etc.  Our first instinct is often to be scared of the unknown, myself included.  It is hard to go into a new or uncomfortable situation but He implores us not to be timid, not to be scared.  He is with us always and He has given all of us a spirit of power, love and discipline.

Our faith is our rock and it will always hold us up no matter what storms comes our way.  Knowing that we cannot be knocked down, we cannot be broken, gives us power.  We have the power of Him behind us.  With Him we can.  I was going to write more but realized there's nothing more that needs to be said.  With Him we can.  You can finish the sentence with any struggle you are facing or attempting to overcome.  It's kind of like when you watch a movie with a superhero and you know that know matter what happens in the movie, no matter how bleak it looks for the superhero, he always overcomes in the end.  We are no different from the superhero.  Things may appear hopeless, it may seem like we are defeated, but do not be fooled.  He is our superpower and with Him we will overcome.

God gave us a spirit of love which sounds easier than it is at times.  It's easy to love those who love us back.  It's easy to love our children, parents, siblings, and spouses (most of the time at least!).  But what about the person who cuts you off on the highway, or the sales clerk who is rude to you, or the friend who spreads a rumor about you?  What about the stranger trying to attack your faith, or the one who questions your parenting choices?  It is easy to love when the love is returned and much harder when the love is deflected.  I struggle with this myself.  I have inherited the gift(?) of anger from my father and it is a "gift" I have to constantly try to resist.  The way I usually try to do this is to pray for whoever it is that I am angry with.  I try to pray for them, that God speaks to them in their life and for myself, that I can respond with love rather than anger.

God gave us the spirit of discipline and there are some things that are easier for me to have discipline in than others.  I am usually very good at keeping the house picked up and the laundry put away.  I clean the kitchen, do the dishes, and vacuum every day.  I am disciplined in keeping my children on a schedule and following through with teaching good behaviors.  I make sure to read about a saint each day, pray, read the scripture, etc.  But there are many areas of my life that I need to have much more discipline in.  We are a work in progress.  We will always be a work in progress but I know that God gave me the gift of discipline and with a conscious effort I can tap into that gift. 

Please God help me embrace the gifts of the spirit that you have so generously gifted to me.  Thank you for being my superpower! 

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Colossians 2:6, 7

Colossians 2:6,7
Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Who has been more open to receiving Jesus than our own Mother Mary?  Not only did she receive him, she conceived him.  Who has been a better example of accepting God's will than Mary?  When Mary was told of God's plan for her, she willingly accepted, knowing there would be many hardships ahead on the path God chose for her.  She put her faith in Him and did as she was led to do.  As a mother, I can't imagine what she must have been feeling when the angel Gabriel asked her to take on the role of the Mother of God.  So on today, the day when we celebrate the Assumption of Mary, who better to turn to for guidance, than Mary.

Mary, in her conception, literally walked with Jesus.  There is a special connection made between a mother and her child and anyone who has bore a child understands that.  Mary walked with the baby Jesus in her womb, feeling His every movement.  Caring for Him and protecting Him before He was even born.  Then, once He was born, she cared for Him as an infant and child.  She watched Him grow and eventually "walked" with Him as He demonstrated His love for us, and was crucified.  As a mother, she must have wanted to trade places with Him, sacrifice herself, so He could live.  But she knew better.  She knew He was following God's plan and that she too needed to follow His plan, regardless of how painful.  I think as mothers, we are always walking with our children, in spirit if not in the physical.

If we choose to walk with Him, since it is truly a choice we either except or reject, the rewards will be great.  Even though Mary experienced pain here on earth, she is now with her Son and Father, united forever and experiencing heavenly bliss.  Don't we wish the same for ourselves?  When we go to the mass and are truly united and receiving Jesus Christ, we are accepting His plan for us.  We are rooting ourselves in our faith, using our faith as our foundation.  And if we grow and build that foundation, we will reap great rewards.  Please let me be clear, I'm not assuming or implying that those rewards are here on earth.  The greatest reward is to be reunited with Him.  There is nothing we take with us when we leave except our soul, so why would anything other than the condition of our souls be of value to us?  Things are nice, but He is better.

I am thankful for my faith.  It has seen me through some difficult times, even when I abandoned it.  He is always here for us, just as Mary was always there for Jesus.  And we should always be thankful to the Lord our God, our Savior.  He gave us the greatest gift we can ever hope to receive, eternal life.  So be strong in your faith and show Him your gratitude.  Even when it seems that the path is too long or too dark, He is with you.  Every experience is here to teach us and even if the lesson is hard, be thankful for what you will learn and how you will grow.  Keep your roots firmly in Him and He will reward you.  Thank you God for sending us our Mother Mary.  Help me to be more like the beautiful example she was for us.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

1 John 3:18

1 John 3:18
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

It is easy to say what needs to be done but is much harder to actually do it.  Like yesterday, I had a horrible experience at a retail store where someone was rude to me.  Just because I look very young, doesn't mean I'm not an important consumer and I made it clear to the clerk that I didn't appreciate the way she was treating me.  I think that's all fine and good.  I was seething as I drove home and decided I was going to blog about my experience because my anger was really getting the best of me.  While I was preparing to and writing my blog, which was filled with my obvious ire, I thought about a Daily Scripture blog I had written not long ago about having patience.

I considered for a while that maybe I wasn't "practicing what I was preaching" but I continued anyway.  While I proofread my blog, again, I heard this voice whispering that I needn't hold onto my anger or outlet it in such a way.  However, I ignored that voice and published the blog anyway.  I don't feel bad that I published a blog stating about how I had been wronged as a consumer, I regret that I did it in a way that was so angry.  And then I saw the scripture for today, and it's like, yeah, God knew I was going to make that mistake so He sent me His message in the scripture.  I am always amazed at His power to reach me just when I need Him!

So I am just like all of God's children.  Making mistakes and doing my best to live according to His law.  But it's not enough to just read, understand, and profess that which is true, we have to live it as well.  Just like I would not eat sugary snacks all day and then tell my children not to, I shouldn't say how much I love my faith but then choose not to live by it.  We are not perfect but we are living each day to try to live as close to the faith as possible.  It is our goal to obey Him and love Him and spread His words as He calls us to.  We cannot claim to be good Christians without having actions that support those claims.  Even though there will be days when we will fail in our Christian duties, it is just as important to acknowledge those failures as it is to try to avoid them. 

So I call on you, my brothers and sisters, to do God's will as good Christian people so that when you lay your head on your pillow tonight, you can thank God for good choices rather than ask His forgiveness.  Please God, help me to do Your will each and every day.  Help me to avoid the temptation of anger.  Thank You for sending me this scripture today and allowing me to fail so I can grow stronger.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Psalms 18:1, 2

Psalms 18:1, 2
"I love You, O Lord, my strength."  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Just like the parables I tell my children, God is our rock and if we build our lives around Him, we will never fail.  I can't say that I have always felt that way.  Before I had my children, I felt that I could have a relationship with God on my terms.  Going to church on holidays, praying only when I needed something, holding Him responsible for any disappointments.  Just like the parable, I was the foolish man building my house on sand, using alcohol and drugs to make me feel better and depending on people who didn't really care for me.  So when the rain came (which it always does), I had nothing to keep me from washing away.  I was depressed, unable to eat, only capable of crying and feeling sorry for myself. 

I thought I had built a better foundation once I got married, I mean, I was going to church every Sunday!  I still didn't understand what it meant to build my life around Him.  So when the rain came again (remember, it always does), I was again washed away.  This time, instead of turning away from food and towards intoxicants, I used food as my comfort instead of my faith.  I didn't start to understand building my foundation on my faith until I was pregnant with my second child!  After turning completely away from my faith in anger, then returning on a rather superficial level, I began to learn about my faith.

I started to learn about the faith because after having one child and on the brink of welcoming another, I realized that I needed to give them the foundation I never had growing up.  The only way for me to do that is to begin to rebuild it for myself.  I started learning about the faith by talking to my SIL.  She is ten years older, has a large family, is a convert, and is very well versed in the faith.  We are very similar people so she made it easy for me to ask questions.  I also began reading because there are so many great books out there about Catholicism.  Now I don't just attend church, I participate with my mind, body and soul in the mass. 

I am building my foundation each day.  I know that my foundation is stronger than it has ever been before.  I still worry but am trying very hard to put my faith in Him because I know He will never let me fall.  I understand that I will never be a finished product of my faith because each day there is opportunity to grow closer to Him.  I also know that there will come a time when the rain comes again and I will be tested but my goal is to have my foundation so strongly set in Him that the next time, I won't be able to be washed away.  Please God help me to build my foundation on you.  Thank you for helping me grow in the faith.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Mark 12:30

Mark 12:30
and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.

The love we receive from God is so strong and so pure.  It is a love that we cannot begin to comprehend or even reciprocate.  For those of you who are parents, think of how much you love your children.  Your children cannot even begin to understand how much you love them until they themselves are parents.  Children cannot understand how much we think about them and pray for them.  My children are at the forefront of my mind every day.  Their well being is most important and I willingly put their needs before my own.  I'm ok if I am hungry as long as my children are being fed.  It's ok if I'm thirsty as long as my children have enough to drink.  If my children are ok, I'm ok.  I love my children with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  That is what parents do.

Our heavenly Father is no different.  We, His children, cannot understand the gravity of His love for us.  We cannot understand the sacrifices He has made for us.  I don't think God even needs us to have the understanding of what He does for us, I think He just wants us to love Him with all we are.  It is important to understand that everything we accomplish is because of Him.  To show Him our appreciation, we are to love Him with our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.  When I express my love to Him, I can feel His love warming me up, and filling my heart with joy.  So how do we show our love for Him?

Well, I can only speak of what I do, so here are some ideas.  Pray.  Pray often, everyday.  Pray long prayers and short prayers.  Pray formal prayers and informal prayers.  Pray the rosary.  Pray to Mary, Jesus, and all the saints and angels.  Pray for things you are struggling with.  Pray for people in and around your life.  Pray to say thank you.  Pray to express your frustration.  Just pray.

Go to church.  There is no better place to feel His love than in His house.  No matter what mood I'm in, when I walk in church, there is a sense of calm that washes over me.  I can feel His power and His presence.  Don't just be in church physically, allow yourself to be there in your heart, in your soul, in your spirit.  Be open to hearing Him.  Listen to His words and allow yourself to relate His words to your current situation.

Read about Him.  I love to learn more about the faith.  It gives me a better foundation when people try to tear my faith down.  I want to know as much as I can because there will be times, as Catholics, when we will have to defend the faith.  Read about the who, what, where, when and why of the faith.  Understand the sacraments and what their significance is.  Read about Mary and other saints who have struggled for their faith.  Use each day as a day to discover your Catholicism.

Include Him in your every day life and conversations, especially with your children.  My husband and I talk about the Trinity, Mary, and saints every day.  We pray with our children and explain why we pray.  We talk about Jesus as if He is a member of our family because HE IS! 

Offer it up, whatever it is for you.  Offer up your thanks for things going well.  Offer up your anger for things going poorly.  Offer up your struggles so He can help you carry your cross.  Whatever you are going through in your life right now, good, bad, indifferent, offer it up.

There are so many other things you can do each day to show God how deep your love is for Him, these are just a few recommendations.  I would love  to hear what other people do to show their love.  Thank You God for the gifts You have given me today.   Help me to love You with every fiber of my being and to teach my children to do the same.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Isaiah 40:30,31

Isaiah 40:30, 31
Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

We will all have stumbling blocks in our lives, especially when we are young.  I know there have been many times that I have struggled.  We struggle with money, jobs, marriages, children, neighbors, etc.  There is always something to face each day, a new set of challenges.  That's life.  It's where we get to prove ourselves and the kind of people we are.  How do you handle your challenges?  There are times when it feels easier to give in, to give up, to let go.  But that is not His way.  That is not the way He taught us.

With Him we will rise above all temptation, navigate any obstacle.  He will show us the way, always.  When we are struggling He will lift us up and carry us through to the other side.  That is why it is so important to be open to allowing His grace to work in our lives, to work through us.  With Him, all things are possible and He will sustain us.  We in turn need to place our unending faith in Him and His awesome power.  Call upon Him in your weakest hour and He will help you through.  Have faith.  Have constant, eternal, undoubting faith in Him, your Father.

Please God help me through my challenges today.  Thank You for lifting me up when I needed You most.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

1 Peter 2:24

1 Peter 2:24
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

There are a lot of things that people do for us that we take for granted.  I think about my young children who are taken care of by their parents.  They don't wonder where dinner is going to come from, they expect to see it on the table.  They don't worry about having clothes to wear, they simply go in their drawers and get them.  They don't have to worry about a warm home in winter or a cool house in summer.  They don't worry about who is going to love them, they know they can find a mommy or a daddy and get a big hug and kiss whenever they want.

It is sometimes easy to see what people around you do for you in a physical sense.  When I had my fourth child there were plenty of people who brought us gifts and made meals for us.  My parents took the children for the weekend.  I had nurses helping me to heal and making sure my new infant was healthy.  But do we always see what people are doing for us?  Is it really what people do for us that is most important?

What about the great grandmother you talk to twice a year but who prays for you every night?  What about the spouse who offers up their work in a prayer to God for you?  What about the godparent who prays a rosary for you?  What about the patron at church who lights a candle for you?  There are people doing things for us all of the time, without us even knowing, and it will affect us more than the physical things they may offer to do.

I am glad that my children appreciate all of the physical things that I do for them, it actually doesn't really bother me if they take it for granted either, but they will never know how I am spiritually taking care of them as well.  And that's ok!  I don't do it because I want them to know really, I do it because I want to take care of them, I love them.  I don't need them to acknowledge or say thank you.  I pray for my children daily, throughout the day, for things they may need help with now or things they may encounter in the future.  We can never really know who is praying for us but I truly believe in the power of prayer.  I don't believe prayer can change the future God has already planned for us, but I believe it can help us in our time of need. 

Prayer is powerful.  Praying for God to bear our cross for us is powerful.  The other night, I felt stressed and anxious.  My stress physically affects me and I needed help.  I had just read about the power of the rosary so I chose to pray to Mary and offered my praying of the rosary up for the specific fears and worries I was struggling with that day.  I closed my eyes as I prayed, fingered the beads, and concentrated on giving my worries up to Mary.  When I was done, I felt lighter, my headache was gone and I could feel the happiness begin to warm my body.  Prayer is powerful.  If you don't believe me, find a quiet time to pray, pray the rosary, or just have a conversation with God.

Jesus offered himself up to God for our sins and even though we can't physically see what He has done for us, He has given us the greatest gift we could receive.  Himself.  He has given us the possibility of eternal life.  I try to do a lot for the people around me, but more than anything, I choose to pray for them, I know this will help them more than one can conceive.  Please God, help me pray to You often and earnestly.  Help me to pray for those who need it most.  Thank You for the gift of Your Son and the sacrifice He made for us.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Romans 12:1

Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Usually when I clear out my mind and read the scripture, it speaks to me.  I can feel God and I can feel Him working through me to find myself in the scripture.  I will read the scripture over and over and open my mind to what He wants me to hear.  Then it hits me, how the scripture relates to my life.  I always find it amazing that even though these words were written thousands of years ago, it is still relevant today and can relate to so many different people at different places in life.

Today I feel rather stuck.  I have read and reread the scripture and just can't seem to hear the message today.  I suppose that happens.  There are times when things flow and times when they don't.  Some scripture comes easily and some do not.  Even though I can't seem to figure this scripture out today, I feel happy knowing that I dedicated my mind, spirit, and energy trying to figure out the message.  Whether or not I figure out a message is not the most important part of my reflection.  Either way I have grown spiritually by putting everything else aside and opening my heart to hear his word.  Maybe I am not able to hear the message right now, that's ok.  I am open to hear it and when I am ready, I am confident God will reveal it to me.

Please God help me to be prepared to hear You today. 

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Hebrews 12:14

Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

It's easy to lose track of what the goal of our lives here is.  Our goal is to get to heaven.  Lucky for us God has made it pretty clear what we need to do to make that happen.  Where better to start than with the golden rule:  Treat others how you would want to be treated.  So much easier said than done sometimes!  Trust me, I have had many situations where someone was rude to me and I was rude right back.  I've also had the situation where I was rude to someone for no reason.  Neither situation made me feel good about myself.  I have found myself in situations where I felt I was being verbally attacked and needed to defend myself so I verbally attacked back.  Again, when the episode was over, I didn't feel good about myself.  I have also had experiences where I was able to have self control and either not say anything or remove myself from the situation.  Surprisingly, this did make me feel better.  I felt better because I knew that I didn't give in to the temptation of engaging in a negative conversation with someone.

It's kind of like that saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."  I want  to have peace with all of the people I come in contact with because my negativity really affects me the most.  Have you ever had an argument with someone and when they said something mean to you, you responded by saying something hurtful right back?  And when you wake up the next day, you still feel angry?  Chances are you will continue to carry around the stress of that anger or your hurt feelings until you make peace with the other person.  In the meantime, you have not grown as a person by holding on to your anger or hurt.

This always brings me back to Jesus.  What better example of bringing peace in the face of anger do we have?  Even though He was being beat and tortured, He asked His Father to forgive them!  Carrying around anger towards others makes me feel heavy and irritated.  Besides, how can I bring peace to others if I am carrying around negative feelings about other people?  It is surprisingly powerful to forgive those who have hurt me because it takes away their ability to continue to affect me.  I choose to forgive others because it allows ME to move on, not because of any effects it may have on the other person.  I have also learned that saying I forgive is not saying what the other person did was ok, it is accepting that I cannot change what has been said or done and I am moving forward with or without them.  This also doesn't mean I have to continue to associate with that person just because I have forgiven.  I can choose to forgive and I can choose to disassociate from that person as well.  It is ok to not have someone in your life because they have hurt you, it is not ok to harbor those hurt feelings besides.

Ok, so here's my last bit about being a person who does their best to bring peace to others.  Let's stop with the gossip.  Gossip is toxic.  Partaking in it, listening to, or repeating it.  Let's not feed the rumor mill about people in our life, workplace, school, or neighborhood.  Let's just have honest, positive conversations with others and assume the BEST about them rather than conclude the worst.  We can never know another's situation.  We don't know what someone else might be dealing with in their own life.  I can speak from my own experiences when I was at my darkest.  When I was longing for children, having miscarriages and arguing with my husband, I projected my own pain into every situation I encountered.  I barely remember a 12 month period of my life because I was so devastated and in pain!  I'm sure I wasn't pleasant to be around and nobody knew what I was dealing with because I didn't share my situation with anyone except my husband and parents.  Because of this experience, I try not to judge someone else because I don't know what someone else may be going through.  Instead I try to just show them some kindness and show that I care.

Please God help me to be a person of peace, for myself and others.  Help me to teach my children to bring peace to the people in their lives.  Thank you for the ability to forgive others so there can be peace after tribulations.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Psalms 32:8

Psalms 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

One of my favorite prayers to say is "Please God, help me hear your voice today."  There is so much noise in our environment that sometimes we forget to really listen.  There is so much to hear in our world that it is hard to turn all the "stuff" off so we can hear Him.  I want to be guided by Him because I know what if feels like to try to steer this ship on my own.

In high school, I was lost.  I didn't know it, but I was horribly lost.  I made a lot of bad choices that looking back now, I'm thankful I never got myself into serious trouble.  I wanted to fit in, be welcomed, be popular, but that meant partaking in activities against my moral compass.  Drinking, smoking, drugs...what could be so bad if so many other people were doing it too?  And anyway, if I do these things with others then we must be friends, right?  Well, what I didn't understand then is that a friend is supposed to care about you, protect you, be supportive of you.  A friend does not encourage or reward dangerous, or just downright stupid, choices.  Something in me just never felt quite right.  Something was missing but I didn't know what.  I thought maybe going to college, getting into a new environment would help.

I had a great time in college and was able to shake most of those bad friends from high school.  I found a new niche and things I was good at.  I also met some new bad friends who were willing to use me, abuse me, and take advantage of me.  When someone is looking so hard for love and acceptance from others, they will take it anywhere they can get it, even if they know it's the wrong place.  I had times where I thought I was happy.  There was always an emptiness though.  An emptiness I can't really explain, it's just something you feel when you don't allow God to be a part of your life.  A feeling of being somehow, incomplete.

When I met my husband, from the first moment, I knew he was different.  I felt something pulling me towards him and even though I had become a skeptic that there were any people in this world worth trusting, I trusted him.  I trusted him with my heart, all of my sorrows and all of my joys.  Instead of overanalyzing, I just allowed myself to be guided toward him and put my trust in him.  He in return brought me back to my faith.  I began going to church again and realized how much I enjoyed the mass, which I attributed to superficial things at that time, like the music.  But that's ok, I was going and hearing the word of God.  I was opening my heart to Him and the possibilities he had in store for me.

Then I was tested.  I had 3 miscarriages in 12 months.  I was devastated.  How could a god who loves me do this to me?  How could a generous god, take 3 beautiful, fragile babies from me?  He knew how badly I wanted to be a mom.  I had a great plan for myself.  I was going to have three kids, continue teaching and work my way up to superintendent of schools.  How could He not see how perfect my plan was?  Why was He messing it all up.  I was so hurt and angry.  I felt abandoned so I abandoned Him.  When I abandoned Him, I might as well have abandoned my marriage as well because we were just as disconnected. 

I didn't like the church we were "attending" (parenthesis because I was rarely going).  My husband agreed to look for a different church.  We went to a couple and none felt right.  Then, while driving around on a Saturday we stumbled upon a Catholic church tucked away in a rural area.  So we agreed to go on Sunday.  It was like a little flicker of light came on, just enough for me to start to see my way out of the black hole I had fallen into.  Shortly after becoming members at our new found church, I discovered I was pregnant.  I was nervous the entire time.  I went to church regularly to pray for this little life growing inside of me.  Somewhere in that nine months I heard a whispering and I decided that my place was at home rather than at work and even though my husband and I were making similar incomes, he agreed that me staying at home would be best for our child.  I really felt like, how could I possibly leave my child for 8 hours a day when I had cried and longed for them?  I appreciated that little life even more, knowing first hand how quickly it could be taken away.  I knew I didn't want to miss one moment with my child.

When I was pregnant with my second I began to read about my faith.  I went to church and cried because I knew I could not partake in communion until I had a confession but I had gotten to church too late and father was done with confessions for the day.  I sat through the mass quietly and afterwards went up to father to ask if he would mind staying afterwards for confession.  He responded with, "You know, I was invited to dinner but I declined because I had this feeling that there was something else I needed to do."  Can you even believe that!  Oh wow, God works his magic for us if we are just patient and open.  I would say I confessed but I mostly just cried and when I left, I felt free.  I felt so light, an experience I had never had after a confession before and now have after every confession. 

I know this story has gotten long so if you are still reading, I'll try to finish up.  You see, I wasn't open to where God wanted me to go, I was only focused on where I wanted to go.  But He has bigger dreams for us than we could ever dream for ourselves and we will only get there with Him.  He will reward us and He will test us.  But above all He will guide us, He will show us the way.  If you trust Him and love Him and are open to His grace, He will lead you.  Please God, help me hear you today.  Help me turn off the noise so I can listen to your voice.  Thank you for where you have led me thus far and helping me through my darkest times.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Corinthians 2:9, 10

Corinthians 2:9, 10
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.

We have been made complete.  What a concept.  Aren't we always trying to change ourselves?  Or are we just trying to better ourselves?  What are the pressures of society that make us feel like we are not enough?  We are bombarded with images, slogans, and advertisements filled with people we are supposed to try to be more like.  We are constantly being told we are not thin enough, smart enough, rich enough.  Is there anything telling us we are just plain good enough?  I'm sure there is...but in Him we know that He created us complete.  We are one whole person, and trying to bring your better qualities to the forefront is fine, in fact, isn't that what we should strive for on a daily basis?  However, trying to change to conform to society's demands on us is not what He created us for.

As an adult I put far less emphasis on that which society tells me I should be.  I don't listen to what other's claim to be my shortcomings.  But as a teen, this was something that bogged me down daily.  I was never enough.  I was lucky though, technology was not yet part of everyone's daily life.  There were no cell phones for teenagers, no social media sites to be exploited or bullied on.  Our teenagers today face a struggle I cannot comprehend.  With the power of the internet and the ability to instantly share with hundreds of people, our teenagers are constantly having to be mindful of themselves, which we all know, can be a difficult task at times.  What other years in your life can the worst possible decisions be made?  These are children trying to figure out who they are and mistakes should be expected, discussed and corrected rather than posted for all to gloat at.

Behind the image of a computer or smart phone there is a sense of anonymity that removes the author from the message.  We feel not just capable but righteous in our judgment of others.  And behind a computer we can judge others and send out our opinions about one another without seeing the hurt on the other persons face.  The technology removes the humanity from who we are attacking while at the same time removing the humanity from ourselves.  Before making a statement about another, wouldn't it be nice if we asked ourselves, "Would I say that to them?  Would I look at their face and make those opinions known?"  As an adult we put less interest in what others opinions are of us and come to understand that the only judge who truly matters is Him.  He is our only judge.  When all is said and done, He is the only one we need to explain ourselves to. 

I encourage my children to be kind to everyone.  My six year old said to me, "Well you can be mean but only if they are mean first."  I responded with, "No sweetheart.  We choose to be kind to everyone even if they choose not to be."  I want my children to be kind and have compassion for those around them.  I want them to understand it is never ok to make another person feel bad.  I also tell my children not to judge other people's abilities, that we all have strengths and we all have things we are trying to improve.  It's ok that not everyone has the same strengths and weaknesses, that's what makes the world so beautiful.  I am also trying to instill in my children self confidence, to not concern themselves with the opinions of others.  I say to them constantly, "When you know the truth in your heart, it doesn't matter what someone else says."  My six year old was crying on the way home from school this last spring and when I asked her why she said, "Jenny told me my tights aren't blue."  I looked at her blue tights, then looked at her and said, "What other color could they be?  Would you be crying if she said the sky was green?  No.  You know the truth in your heart, don't worry what she says."

Please God help me to be kind and generous and to ignore society's demands and judgments.  Thank you for your light and your love guiding me today.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

James 5:8

James 5:8
You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

Oh patience.  The virtue I work the hardest to demonstrate, but who doesn't when they have children?  I feel like God is so patient with us.  He allows us to make our mistakes while quietly waiting in the balances.  He watches as we stray, longing and calling us to return.  I think of Mary, how patient she had to be while expecting our Lord and Savior.  I know how hard it is to wait for the birth of a new baby, I can't imagine how anxious I would be if I knew that baby was our God incarnate.  Yet Mary just waited patiently for the birth of her beautiful boy.  And as we wait for the second coming, we are called to have patience.

When I think about all the circumstances that call for patience, it seems daunting.  We need to have patience with co workers who may not be executing things the way we would or in a way that we feel is most efficient.  We need to have patience with the person in front of us in a check out line who has 15 coupons (none of which seem to want to work), is using multiple tenders, and is distracted with children.  We need to have patience with our neighbors who keep their yards differently than we do or who behave in a manner we would choose not to.  We need to have patience for the person driving in front of us who must not have seen the speed limit increase by 15 miles per hour.  I often struggle with this one!  Lol.

For those of us with children, we are constantly exercising (or at least trying to) patience.  I feel it is incredulously important for me to show patience to my children because I want them to practice patience with the people in their lives.  We need to have patience with toddler's tantrums.  We need to have patience with boundary pushing young children.  We need to have patience when children demonstrate sassy mouths and bad choices.  We need to have patience when children are distracted during a chore.  We need to have patience when potty training.  We need to have patience when hungry bellies are all grumbling at the dinner table.  We need to have patience with children who are adamant they do not need a nap when we are adamant that they do.

Every day is an exercise in patience.  Jesus suffered and died for us so that we could someday be reunited with Him in heaven.  I hope that I am old and gray, with great great grandchildren when that beautiful day comes.  In the meantime, I have to be patient.  I will do my best to improve myself in all aspects of myself.  Patience is a virtue.  I say this to my children as often as I say it to myself.  Please God help me to demonstrate this virtue today, even when I feel I cannot demonstrate it anymore.  Thank you for giving us a beautiful role model of patience in our Blessed Virgin Mary. 

How will you show your patience today?

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

John 10:10

John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:  I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

When I read this scripture I think about how there are so many temptations around us, calling us to make poor choices and to give in to that which we should avoid.  It is so easy to get distracted by these temptations.  In order to avoid these we need to remember what their intentions are.  These temptations are not here to build us up or better our lives.  These temptations are here to hurt us, to detour us on our journey to be with our maker.  Their only goal is to set us on the wrong path.

God's only goal is to keep us on the right path.  He wants to be reunited with us in heaven, He wants us to avoid temptation.  God wants to provide for us and to help us be fruitful as a people and He needs us to understand that the only way to achieve this is through Him, with His help and His guidance.

I often find myself being detoured by temptation only to find disappointment.  If I can just resist long enough for God to help me find the light, I know I will be ok.  It is a constant struggle and one that I worry my children facing as well.  I hope that I can learn as much as I can now so that my experiences will help my children avoid similar temptations.  Please God help me to feel your gentle presence guiding me each day.  Help me to avoid that which desires to destroy me.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

2 Corinthians 13:14

2 Corinthians 13:14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.  Amen.

What a beautiful scripture!  I am just in amazement at the gifts God gave to us when He sent us His only son to save us from ourselves.  "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,"  What a hard thing it can be to accept God's grace in our lives but if we are able to, the rewards are so great.  When I was younger I can remember feeling like I was the one behind the wheel.  I couldn't understand why life was such a struggle.  I couldn't understand why I was working so hard to achieve things without every really succeeding.  Or, if I was able to succeed, why it didn't bring the joy I thought it would.  Now I understand that I can do nothing without God's grace in my life.  It is his grace that leads me to my successes and brings out of the ashes of my failures.  Thank you God for the gift of your grace.  Help me to allow myself to be led by it each day.

"the love of God"  Wow, what a powerful love that is!  We cannot in our earthly form, even begin to comprehend how great His love is for us.  I am so thankful that God loved me when I didn't love myself.  I am grateful that God loved me, when I felt that no one else could.  I am blessed that God chooses to love me more than I could ever love Him.  Until we have children, I think it is hard to even begin to understand how great God's love is for us.  He loved us so much that He sent His only son as a sacrifice for our sins.  I am in constant awe of God's love for me.  Thank you God for the eternal love you bestow unto us.  Please help me to feel your love when the days are good and even more when the days are bad.

"and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all."  The trinity is so hard to comprehend.  One God found in the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.  I think about this trinity most during communion when I am receiving the Holy Eucharist so how fitting that the word communion is used.  During mass, I reflect on what a glorious miracle God allows us to experience.  It's almost like you can feel the Holy Spirit wrapping you up in His Glory.  Thank you God for inviting us to this miracle at every mass.  Help me to be calm and at peace to fully appreciate this miracle, even with the distractions that may be around me.

This is how I have interpreted the scripture today.  It helps me in my life, I hope it will bring some inspiration to yours.  Let me know how this scripture speaks to you.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

1 John 4:1

1 John 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

This is so true of the world today!  Just looking around you can see people who claim to be something they are not.  But instead of projecting this reading onto everyone else around me, I want to focus it on myself.  I have to do my best each day that I am representing myself in my truest form.  There are a lot of people who are "do as I say, not as I do" kind of people.  I STRIVE to not be that person, especially with my children.  If I say, "Be patient with your sibling." but then have little patience for my children, I am being a false "prophet".  Children do as they see and as a parent it is hard to always be in role model form and there are undoubtedly times when we will fail, but it is our job, our duty, our responsibility to constantly strive to be the most honest role model we can be.

We need to be teaching our children as well to look for those good role models or "prophets".  Children like to believe what they see and we need to teach them to truly consider who they allow into the depths of their lives because not everyone will be a positive spirit.  As much as I want to tell my children that all people are good, and all people have good intentions, that is just not always the case.  Although it is not our place to judge others, it is our choice to involve ourselves with others.  The only way for me to remain a "spirit of God" is to be selective about who I choose to associate with.  I am not concerned with things that are superficial, i.e. skin color, education level, ideological beliefs, socioeconomic status, etc.  I am concerned with the core of people.  I want to be around people who are loving, well intentioned, charitable, patient, and virtuous.

We are who we involve ourselves with.  So in order for me to be an honest disciple of God, rather than a "false prophet", I need to live the word of God, not just read it, not just believe it.  It is an everyday challenge as we are tested at every turn.  With truth in my heart and God as my guide, I believe I can be successful.

How does this scripture speak to you today?

Busy Mommy Blogger