A Blessed Woman's Daybook - June 29, 2009

Outside my window....

Well it's hard to tell, I really need to wash the downstairs windows! Another practice in patience! All in God's time.

To Live the Liturgical Year...

Today we celebrate The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.

Catholic Culture states

"A moving custom is practiced in rural sections of the Alpine countries. On June 29, when the church bells ring the "Angelus" early in the morning, people step under the trees in their gardens, kneel down and say the traditional prayer the "Angel of the Lord." Having finished the prayer they bow deeply and make the sign of the cross, believing that on Saint Peter's Day the blessing of the Holy Father in Rome is carried by angels throughout the world to all who sincerely await it. "

I Am Thankful For...

My family and the gift of homeschooling. I'm so thankful I said yes to God's call!

One Of My Favorite Things...

Playing cards with my kids. Buck and Honeybee are loving Battle and Go Fish. The House Cat and Snuggle Bug are enjoying Hand and Foot and Rummy

I Am Creating...

My computer savvy husband helped me create a spreadsheet to organize my research for next years school books. It's been sooooo helpful. Thanks honey. I have a spreadsheet for each of the older girls. I have columns for Subject, Title, Curriculum, Price, Comments, Amazon/with shipping, Cath Swap. Looks like I'll be using a mix of CHC, Seton, Saxon, Emmanuel (MODG).

Can't wait to get the books ordered. Each of the girls sat with me and helped me to choose their curriculum. It was our first time to do it this way. It just reminded me of how they are getting older too quick!

My Picture Thought...

Buck playing cards with a good friend.

GO FISH!

Friday Fun - Celebrating Our Godson's Birthday!

Today we were blessed to spend time with one of our godson's. It was so good seeing him and his family and celebrating his 3rd Birthday with them.

We all had fun making these easy "fish plates."
May we always strive to be "Fishers of Men!"

So Thankful For....

The gift of such a wonderful husband and father to our children.

Friday Fun - Homemade Play Dough

To make homemade play dough you'll need:

1 cup flour

1/2 c. salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. oil

food coloring

(I normally double the recipe)

Mix all of the ingredients (except food coloring) together in a non stick pot.

Stir over med/low heat until the mixture forms a ball in the pot.

Mold dough with hands and cut into sections. You can double or triple the recipe to make lots of different colors. Add food coloring. Tip: Use disposable plastic gloves to work the color in. The homemade play dough is so much easier to work with than store bought!

Honeybee had fun making shapes.

Buck made sharks and ships

SnuggleBug made a lady on a path.

The House Cat crafted this pretty flower.

And of course we made an image of The Sacred Heart, since today is The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I forgot to replenish the red food coloring after Buck's birthday cake. I don't think our Lord minds that it is green :)

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy On Us.

A Rose of A Grandmother

It's hard to know where to start with this post. So much has been happening - I'm still trying to digest it all. My May was spent recovering from surgery hoping to be up for our trip to Myrtle Beach to see our niece graduate from high school. She is such a miracle child - A brain cancer survivor! We had a great time staying on the beach and seeing family who we rarely see.

The hard part of it all was that God decided to take my sweet grandmother to her eternal reward while I was so far away. I'm so happy for her. She was such a special lady - full of love of God and family. I loved visiting her in the summer and helping out on the farm. It was so different from my day to day routine. Even though I was one of 25 grandchildren she made me feel like I was the only one. I'm sure each of her grandchildren would say the same for themselves. She loved to tell me about Jesus and how she lived for Him. At night she would write in her diary and then read from the Bible to me. She wasn't Catholic, I doubt she ever knew anyone who was, but she was one of the most Christian people I've ever known. I have vivid memories of her reading the 23rd Psalm to me. It always spoke to me in ways I couldn't understand. Now with my training in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd I see why. I only wish I could put the emotions in my heart to words.

Her eight children all came together for the visitation. Only God knew that He would also call one of them home that same night. My mom took her brother back to his hotel after the gathering. He hadn't been feeling well and had told his wife that he just wanted to go and be with his mama. God heard this request and took him too. It was his 68th birthday.

They had a double funeral the next day. I can only imagine how difficult this was for the siblings. The hardest part of it for me was being so far away from my mama. I'm her only child and so wanted to be there to comfort her. However, I know God has His reasons and that's that.

Now a special cousin of mine has been diagnosed with a fast moving cancer and given a couple of months to live. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. He is the son of my aunt who lived with my grandmother. May this prayer remain on my lips "Jesus, I Trust In You!"

My sweet mama brought this rose home to me from my grandmother's casket. It is a perfect image of her - soft, sweet smelling, feminine, BEAUTIFUL CREATION OF GOD!

I'm in the mood for Pickin' and Eatin'

PickYourOwn.org is a great site for those of you wondering which fresh fruits and veggies are locally grown for hand picking. They also have lots of tips on canning, storing, picking, etc.

What to look for and when:
March - April: Asparagus
May-June: strawberries
June- July: cherries
June-August: blueberries, blackberries
July-September: peaches, figs, tomatoes, green beans
July-October: raspberries
August - Figs, Fall raspberries start, early apples
September-October: apples and grapes
October: late apples, Pumpkins
December: Christmas trees

I'm on the lookout for a strawberry field to take the kids to. We are trying to shake the beach blues and I think this would be the perfect sweet idea. If any of you know of a good one nearby let me know. (North Central AL) Have a blessed weekend :)

Wondering where we've been?

Honeybee age 4

Ideas for Celebrating Pentecost

Make a centerpiece. Cut out seven candles with flames on construction paper and label them with the names of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Attach to a strip or two of construction paper formed into a circle and stapled.

Wear Red

Fly a kite

Make a birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday to the Church.

Make Pinwheels and blow on them remembering God's breath of the Holy Spirit upon the Church.

Make a cenacle and re-enact the coming of The Holy Spirit

Print white doves, cut and glue them to card stock, and label each one with one gift of The Holy Spirit. Then cut those out, number them 1-12, hole punch and hang them by red ribbons. We hung ours from our banister railing. After Mass have each member of the family choose a number. Find the dove that matches your number and the gift written on it is the one the Holy Spirit (working through the gift written on it) wishes him to work on for the year. (Catholic Culture.)

Copywork for older children:

Come, my children in the world, come and be my witnesses: I need every mouth that still prays, I need every hand that still traces the sign of the holy Cross! For the day is heavy with storms of temptation— There are many along the road who no more find the way home: You must be light to light their way .... —Gertrud von LeFort.

(Gertrud von LeFort was a German writer of novels, poems, and essays. She came from a Protestant background, but converted to Catholicism in 1926. Most of Gertrud's writings come after this conversion.)

Gifts of the Holy Spirit enable us to live a holy Christian life.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are:

Wisdom - desire for the things of God, and to direct our whole life and all our actions to His honor and glory

Understanding - enable us to know more clearly the mysteries of faith

Counsel - warn us of the deceits of the devil, and of the dangers to salvation

Fortitude - strengthen us to do the will of God in all things

Knowledge - enable us to discover the will of God in all things

Piety - love God as a Father, and obey Him because we love Him

Fear of the Lord - have a dread of sin and fear of offending God

The 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit grow in our souls with our practice of Virtue as enabled by the Gifts of the Holy Spirit:

Charity

Joy

Peace

Patience

Benignity - the quality of being kind and gentle

Goodness

Long-suffering (patient suffering over an extended period)

Mildness

Faith

Modesty

Continency (Purity)

Chastity

Novena to The Holy Spirit - Day Nine

Day 9 - Saturday before Pentecost

Pray:
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.

V. Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created,

R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of Your faithful, grant that by that same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read:
Acts 28:16-20, 30-31
John 21:20-25

Be silent

Pray: Father, renew my Baptism and Confirmation. Stir into flame the gifts of the Spirit in my life (see 2 Timothy 1:6-7).

On or near Pentecost, ask another Christian to lay hands on you (see Acts 19:6) and pray for you to receive the Holy Spirit. After receiving these prayers, thank the Holy Spirit for coming to you, go to Mass as often as possible, and share your faith in Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit!

Prayer: Father, may I make every effort to build unity which has the Spirit as its origin and peace as its binding force (Eph 4:3).

Promise: "There are still many other things that Jesus did, yet if they were written about in detail, I doubt there would be room enough in the entire world to hold the books to record
them." —Jn 21:25

Praise: After receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, may we often feel compelled to remain in silent thanksgiving.

Novena to The Holy Spirit - Day Eight

Day 8 - Friday before Pentecost

Pray:
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.

V. Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created,

R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of Your faithful, grant that by that same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read:
Acts 25:13-21
John 21:15-19

Be silent

Pray: Holy Spirit, produce in me Your fruit: love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Prayer: Jesus, may all prisoners who read this receive the Spirit on Pentecost and joyfully witness to You. Bless them with hope.

Promise: "His kingdom rules over all." —Ps 103:19

Praise: Samuel praises God for being sent to prison because it was there he found Jesus, his Savior.

L'Angelus on Life on the Rock Tonight!

L'Angelus, one of our favorite bands, is on Life on the Rock tonight. If you can, turn it on at 7:00 central time and watch. Here's a link if you'd like to know more about them.

www.angelusband.com/store.html

A dear friend blessed us with this cd. We have so enjoyed it! Thanks Sissy!

Novena to The Holy Spirit - Day Seven

Day 7 - Thursday before Pentecost

Pray:
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.

V. Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created,

R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of Your faithful, grant that by that same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read:
Acts 22:30; 23:6-11
John 17:20-26

Be silent:

Pray: Jesus, baptize me, that is, immerse me in the Holy Spirit and in the fire of purification (Matthew 3:11).

Prayer: Father, remove my love for disunity. Give me your heart for those who are hard for me to tolerate.

Promise: "Keep up your courage!" —Acts 23:11

Praise: May we live for you by serving others!

Wordless Wednesday

You've got to love boys and their homemade forts :) Visit Wordless Wednesday for more posts.

Novena to The Holy Spirit - Day Six

Day 6 - Wednesday before Pentecost

Pray:
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.

V. Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created,

R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of Your faithful, grant that by that same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read:
Acts 20:28-38
John 17:11-19

Be silent

Pray: Spirit of truth, consecrate me by means of truth. By obedience to the truth may I be purified for a genuine love of my brothers and sisters (1 Peter 1:22). I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer: "O Father most holy, protect them with Your name which You have given Me [that they may be one, even as We are One]" (Jn 17:11).

Promise: "I gave them Your word, and the world has hated them for it; they do not belong to the world [any more than I belong to the world]." —Jn 17:14

Praise: St. Augustine bore such an amazing amount of fruit, especially a large number of new converts, that he was made the first bishop of Canterbury.

Novena to The Holy Spirit - Day Five

Day 5 - Tuesday before Pentecost

Pray:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.

V. Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created,

R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of Your faithful, grant that by that same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read:
Acts 20:17-27

John 17:1-11

Be silent

Pray: Father, send the Holy Spirit to give me the power to be a witness for Jesus. May I not be ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16). I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer: Father, I set my heart on the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 14:1).

Promise: "Eternal life is this: to know You, the only true God, and Him Whom You have sent, Jesus Christ." —Jn 17:3

Praise: St. Philip in obedience to his confessor became a priest at age thirty-five and served through his priestly vocation for forty-four years.

Never Forget The Price Paid For Freedom

Last night we caught part of The PBS Memorial Day Concert. It was truly moving. I cried about the whole time. It's amazing to me how we get so caught up in our day to day activities that we forget to remember those who have fought and died for the freedoms we enjoy. I'm so thankful I listened to my guardian angel tell me to turn on the tv and see what was on. Thank you God for all of the fallen soldiers and their families who have paid the ultimate price for America.

Novena to The Holy Spirit - Day Four

Day 4 - Monday before Pentecost

Pray:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.

V. Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created,

R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of Your faithful, grant that by that same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read:
Acts 19:1-8

John 16:29-33

Be silent

Pray: Father, may the Holy Spirit come down on me so that I will speak in tongues and utter prophecies. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit of unity! Jesus, pour out Your love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rm 5:5). Gather us together (Jn 11:52).

Promise: "The Holy Spirit came down on them and they began to speak in tongues and to utter prophecies." —Acts 19:6

Praise: Pope St. Gregory's last recorded words were "I loved justice and hated iniquity."

Novena to The Holy Spirit - Day Three

Day 3 - Sunday before Pentecost

Pray
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.

V. Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created,

R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of Your faithful, grant that by that same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read:
Year B
Acts 1:15-17, 20-26
1 John 4:11-16
John 17:11-19

Be silent

Pray: Father, make us one in the Spirit. As You have forgiven me, may I accept Your grace to forgive immediately all who have sinned against me. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.


Prayer: Father, may I refuse to take my eyes off of the ascended Jesus. May I soon receive the Spirit in a new way.

Promise: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you." —Acts 1:8

Praise: Praise You, risen and ascended Jesus, for sending Your Spirit. Come, Holy Spirit! Alleluia!

Ascension Thursday Fun

"Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.They said, "Men of Galilee,why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven." Acts Ch.1

This morning we enjoyed making these crafts in honor of the Ascension of Our Lord into heaven. I used this coloring sheet for Jesus and his apostles. While the kids worked, (and asked questions:) I read the story of The Ascension from our Catholic Children's Bible. Now only 10 more days until The Birthday of the Church!

Wordless Whole Grain Wednesday

A Blessed Woman's Daybook May 18, 2009

Pondering in my thoughts.....

Yesterday we celebrated the Graduation Mass for the 2009 class. It was the 12th graduating class of Our Lady of Good Counsel Home School group. Three of the thirteen students had been home schooled with the group since it's origin. I just LOVE the fact that our graduation ceremony immediately follows the Holy Mass. I can't think of a better way for our graduates to start this new chapter in their lives! We were immensely blessed to be able to serve our Lord by providing the music for Mass this year. My Honey and the House Cat did an awesome job playing guitar and singing. Snuggle Bug, Buck, Honeybee and myself also were part of the family choir :) I'm sure it brought great joy to our Lord for Him to hear Honeybee singing to the top of her lungs at times :) We are so blessed to be a part of this home school group and also very thankful to our administrator and her husband for all of their hard work. We will be praying for these graduates and their families. May they always turn to God for guidance so to live the life He has planned for them!

Outside my window....

It is much cooler this morning following the rain yesterday. The suet feeder is empty... Things are pretty quiet. I'd love to be out doors working on making a garden. I guess it will have to wait though since I've been overdoing it a bit and really must rest this week.

To live the liturgy.....

This Thursday we celebrate Our Lord's Ascension into heaven. I've fallen so far behind on The Garden of the Good Shepherd book. Thankfully it is reusable :)

In My Reading Basket....

Sharon Lovejoy's books on gardening with children. I came across these books on Wildflower and Marbles. I plan on buying them as soon as I can. They are WONDERFUL!

To Be Fit and Healthy...

I pulled out my old copy of Fertility Cycles and Nutrition, by Marilyn Shannon. I'm taking lots of notes and hoping to implement healthier eating habits in our home. It's not easy, as you well know. First step - no junk in the house! Second step - start walking as soon as my body permits.

My picture thoughts....

You've got mail

Anniversary Roses from My Sweetheart

Buck's ready for action.

Hope you all have a very blessed week. Visit more daybook entries at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Celebrating 16 years of Marital Bliss

Just want to wish my sweet hubby a very Happy Anniversary! God is so good to us both. May we continue to live for Him. God Bless You!