The preparation for family pictures on Easter Sunday there was this unposed picture of Ruth with her 4 that I thought was special! She is just days away from having her new baby on May 1st! One thing about Ruth that has been hard for me is that she has worked as a nurse always and will return to half time nursing with this one too! One way the Lord has answered my prayers is the gift of her day care providers have been myself and now their other grandma, Phyllis Lanoue! Simon had to go to a regular day care provider for the first 6 months, but then they moved just 3 miles away, and it struck me that I would watch the kids and my flexible hospice job would work around that. Now the other grandma has taken over, and she even comes to Ruth's home to watch the kids! Ruth has it as good as it gets to be able to work half time and know that her kids are being cared for almost as well as MOM! Fr Craig put this special sharing on facebook today... I know not the author...
A man came home from work and found his 3 children outside, still in their pyjamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn around garden, The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and no sign of the dog, walking in the door, he found ...an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, the throw rug was... against one wall, In the front room the TV was on loudly with the cartoon channel, the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls. As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pyjamas, reading a novel... She looked up at him, smiled and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What happened here today?' She again smiled and answered, 'You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world do I do all day?... ''Yes," was his incredulous reply.. She answered, 'Well, today I didn't do it.'..
How many times as a stay at home mom for 14 years - in my nest years - did I go over the day in my mind when my husband acted like "what did you do all day?" or when someone made the comment - "Do you work?" Yes, I work all day long at home with my 5 kids!"
Nancy has the blessing of being a stay at home mom for the most part - she does do some tutoring in the evening when Bill can watch Gus for a couple hours. Fr Criag also said that Blessed John Paul II said that moms that stay home and care for their kids and families should be awarded by society! That certainly is a far cry from reality, when we are made to feel that we are just wasting our time doing "nothing"with our lives. Nancy and also Maria, who is at home with her two going on three in September, are sharing their joys and struggles on their shared blog - http://dosmallthingswithlove.blogspot.com/
Sharing their ideas for inexpensive things to make for your child as well as simple and charming insights into young Catholic wives and mothers. I have been very touched by their sharing! Maria carries forth into her family the 5 months that she had in the Poor Clare monastery considering a call to religious life. She felt that this was not for her - yet I see the fruits of her still inner call to HIM as she and her children attend daily mass, and her home is empty of TV and other distractions that are in most homes. Her children are a model of deeply faith filled and innocent beauty! Speaking of mass - today has to have about the most out of this world readings ever! The first one from Acts is the conversion of St Paul! So amazing in how He was blinded by the LIGHT, yet in that he discovered the Truth and was forever changed from Saul the murderer of the Christians to the most on fire Christian ever! There is one certain person in my life that I pray and hope could and would be a St Paul... Lord, hear my prayer!
Then the Gospel!!!!!!!! John 6: 52-59
"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life..." Here are two people that want that life to the fullest! Both Maria and Joseph considered a call to be a priest or a sister! Now they carry that very beautiful Holy Place deep inside of them, and although they were not called to leave the world and enter the priesthood or monastery... they continue to yearn to receive His Body and Blood daily and become ever more and more Christ's! For Joseph to now be carrying that LIGHT and TRUTH into the is amazing! How it is needed there, and how wonderful to see the LIGHTS that they are raising for the world within their domestic church/family! Little Therese is already considering a call to be Sr Maria someday, but she has a sister and priest for Godparents so her parents kind of planted that seed for her. How wonderful! It was something that I wanted all of my kids to consider, and the exposure to the idea enriched every one of my children's lives!
Pat came to bed an hour ago saying that they had been rained out..."But that's a good thing." How we love to get rain after the long drought,O Lord! Jesus, thank you for the reminder of the beautiful gift of motherhood, and fatherhood, and families that put you first and foremost in their lives. Our domestic church/family becomes a little slice of heaven when we know the Truth of your LOVE, and LIGHT, and LIFE! Bless all those new lives that are growing in the womb. Protect all life, and please help women to realize that it is a most cherished LIFE and is to be protected and loved at all cost! End the horror of abortion- protectress of LIFE, Our Lady of Guadalupe! St Paul intercede for us from heaven and lead us in paths of fighting to the death for TRUTH. May the fire for faith blind us to all that tries to pull at us and lead us down the wrong path. We are Christ's with no hold backs or reservations! May I be your hands and feet at the nursing home today. Make a way for more mothers to be given the sacred gift to be home with their families and "do a whole lot of something" each day for the welfare of their domestic church/family! Bless the gathering of women tomorrow at the Diocesan CCW convention! Leslee Unruh - speaker for LIFE and mass with the Bishop! Wow! Thank you, Lord! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Halleluia, Halleluia, Halleluia!
Dad time is the greatest too!
Bless-bless, Barb
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and divinity, and wisdom and strength and honor, Halleluia."
Rev 5:12
Thinking of Little Sister Hallel today too! She sacrificed her desire for family to "leave it all behind," and say "yes" to the call to become His Bride! She models the joy of that special life for all of her family - especially those little ones that can observe her life and her amazing Community of the Lamb!
http://communityofthelambusa.org/mission.html... I just found this site for the group that is now in the heart of the US in Kansas City! Please take the time to look at it! You will not be disappointed! Bless-bless
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