Beacon of Light

Off in the distance
I see such a light;
It's raining, pouring
With no end in sight.

The darkness
It swallows
Some people up whole.
Follow the glow.

Follow that glow!
That shimmering light.
It may seem sometimes
As no end in sight.

But be as it may
The path we each choose,
With Christ as our Savior,
We have nothing to lose.

The Beacon of Light -
The reason we breathe!
Give up the dark
To Jesus, bequeath!

For our futures,
No one will know
But right now,
These seeds we shall sow...

To raise up our children
Good and righteous
Show them that Beacon
Have them follow the brightness!

Faithful Mama 2012
Dedicated to the courageous children and their parents in Newtown, CT. I read a story of a 1st grader who protected his peers, guided them to safety, then was murdered. These beautiful babies are now in the arms of Jesus. What a tragedy it was but they now are all in Paradise. I grieve right along with these parents, grandparents and other family who've lost a loved one from tragedy. My prayers are with you all as a mother, sister, daughter, wife, aunt, friend and minister. Xoxo

Love Is a Psalm

Our love is a Psalm,
Much more than a song.
It is music to God's ears.

Undying love,
Unfailing trust,
To our Father up above.

Our love is a Psalm.
It is poetry,
It is patient, kind.

Our love will shine
Through the darkest of days
I'm so glad that you're mine.

And we are united as one for Him.

Our love, a vocation
It conquers tribulation.
Our love is a Psalm.

I love you dear,
Always and forever.

*Cleaning my husband's desk I found this poem I wrote him for our anniversary this year. Thought I'd post just to keep it on my blog since sometimes we lose papers. ;)

Faithful Mama written 6-16-12

I love you, Mr. Faithful and am so blessed that we have such a great vocation in the marriage covenant. Thanks be to God!!!

Adventures in Homeschooling: Are We Prepared?

We are T minus 5 days before our very first official day of kindergarten!
Are we ready? Am I ready?!?!

I think so. We decided to enroll oldest Faithful Boy (5.5 years old) into Seton Home Study, a Catholic kindergarten curriculum.

I've been reading and preparing his lessons and am LOVING the choice we made.
I know Mr. Faithful & I have been filled with the Holy Spirit; we chose to follow God's will for our family.

First page of the paperwork just happened to be about the life of St. Therese of Lisieux. If you have never read my blog, this woman is my patron saint. 

http://faithfulmamadiary.blogspot.com/2012/05/invoke-spirit-invade-my-heart.html?m=1 

I knew then that she helped us choose the perfect curriculum for our Faithful Family!!
The more I read the more at peace I am. No matter what kind of looks I get when I say, "He is in kindergarten, we homeschool." No matter how many people ask, "How is this going to work with the other two when you try to teach him?" 

I have TOTAL trust in my Heavenly Father that we will be successful this first year of homeschool.
Faithful Boys and I decided the name for our school is LITTLE WAYS ACADEMY; our school's patron saint is The Littleflower, St. Therese of Liseiux. Ironically her feast day is October 1st, which will be our very first day of school. 

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

We are on the right path to Christ, and Mr. Faithful and I feel we are raising our boys exactly how Jesus wants, to draw all of us closer to God. 

Share your school stories, inform others there IS a choice in schools for your children. Stand up for real choice!! But, most importantly, FOLLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT!!! 

If you would have told me I'd be a homeschool mom just two years ago I'd have laughed in your face and told you you're crazy. Homeschool families are weirdos who's kids aren't well socialized. How can anyone learn anything outside a real classroom? 

*chuckling at my old ignorant self*

With God ANYTHING is possible. Without Him, nothing.

If you or someone you know are contemplating alternative schooling, please do your research. If you have that small voice or feeling inside you, that is God. Please heed His calling for you and your family. 

In Christ, Faithful Mama xoxo

Modern Day Crucifixion

Our faith is being tested. Satan and his evil army are simply able to twist and turn around easy targets and rip souls apart, hurt feelings, and separate Christians with a snap of their fingers (or with their pride, jealousy, or any other sin).

So many poor souls lost. Some have no idea they are.

I know that some people that read this do not share my beliefs...but you know what? That's OK! 

I am Faithful Mama. I am a devout Roman Catholic. You may be Baptist, Muslim, Non denominational, Mormon, agnostic, etc. For me...I was baptized as an infant into the Catholic Church. I was raised in the faith as my parents (thanks be to God) provided the spiritual nourishment to give me the strong roots I have today. I did fall away as I had my doubts (I call them my "dark ages"). I was called back home as I search for answers.

I know now that I am exactly where I need to be. Catholic Church is home on this earth.

But, who am I to say it's your home? 

I am no one.

You are better than me.

I know my faults. I am a sinner. However, through Reconciliation, I am forgiven by Christ Himself! (for scripture of this sacrament please read 2 Cor 5:11-21; John 20:19-23; Luke 10:13-16). I don't need to prove myself to anyone but Him. He is what matters most!

All the sacraments are a beautiful gift from God, yet so many quickly dismiss them.

Catholicism is my home!

May not be for you. Where has the Holy Spirit led you? Ask yourself. It's nice to assist others in their journey, but there is a fine line so do be careful how you tread on it. The devil is tricky and we all need to keep our focus on Jesus Christ; be aware of present evil in the most unsuspecting places. There are times when the Holy Spirit will use you as His instrument (what an honor!!) and when that happens, it's absolutely beautiful!!

I would never push my beliefs on anyone. I only share what I learn. Take it how you will. If you get offended, maybe you need to reevaluate your own beliefs.

I love learning of others' faith. I think it's remarkable that many of us are similar in how we treat others, yet, different beliefs. I feel like that is proof that our Heavenly Father has our goal in this world written on our hearts. God loves all His creations even if we deny Him. God wants all of us to be with Him. Some will never accept Him. So unfortunate for them; they have no idea what joy they are missing!!

Jesus has told us to love our enemies (Luke 6:27-36) and also not to judge others (Luke 6:37-42). 

I love everyone, even those that crucify me.

I try to be the best Christian I can be for my God.

That's all anyone of us can do, right?

If you have any questions about the Catholic faith, our beliefs, or why we do believe in what we do, please check out these sites before you assume you know:

http://www.catholic.org/

http://www.ewtn.com/

http://www.catholicapologetics.org/

Many have rallied against Catholicism. Most of those anti Catholics have no idea what we are all about. Sadly, some are fallen Catholics whom have been misguided and taught incorrectly. 

Peace in Catholicism. Peace in Christ!

Have a faithful day!!

Top Priorities

Wow it's been a while since I've written! Paper and pen, my how I've missed you!

The Faithful Family has been on a path to enlightenment; a journey to gaining wisdom; a road that's more clearly paved for our walk home.

The Holy Spirit is hard at work through us.

I've learned more about the mystery of our faith; Faithful Children have gained their own intimacies with Christ; Mr. Faithful is on his own personal journey to what I feel is a new birth in Jesus Christ. We are praying more as a family (and we thought we prayed a lot before!) we sit down and bless one another with Holy Water, we are learning more of sacramentals, we are raising our little men to be strong warriors for our God. It is a wonderful journey, yet difficult at times.

When we are so filled with love and faith for Christ, the evil one wants to tear us down even more so.

We've had plenty of obstacles over the last couple months. We trust in Jesus and show more devotion to Him at those difficult times. We will pick up our rosaries and pray.

It's easy to be apathetic. It's easy to just get by without thinking of God, praying for others, living a secular life. It's easy to point fingers at others for our failings. It's easy to be selfish. The hard part is to let go. The hard part of letting go of all the stress is realizing life is not about us. Life is about love. Love for Christ.

Love always. Pray constantly. Live for God and no one else.

Make your day a faithful one.

Peace in Christ.

Taking a Break From the World

So, I've deleted my facebook pages (personal & blog). I decided that I need a break. A beautiful face, smiling at me, talking to me about the first thing that springs into his impressionable mind, looks to me for guidance, love, compassion. Yet....I'm scrolling Facebook on my phone; halfheartedly telling my three year old, "Yep" and, "Oh really?" It hits me like a ton of bricks. I am neglecting my child. How could I let this happen? What kind of mother am I that I'd waste valuable time listening to my toddler by checking facebook statuses?  He is what matters to me. His brothers and their father are important to me. I love writing. I love the fact that I created this blog. To write my feelings, allow the Holy Spirit to use me to evangelize, to bring a smile to my own face when I reread something I wrote months ago.  But, my family comes before me. Unless I am filled with the Holy Spirit to write, it's my own selfishness.  Jesus teaches us to love everyone. I have been trying so hard to love others that I've been neglecting those I love the most. And that is not what our Savior wants.  So I bid you adu for now. I will be back. I'm not sure when.  We are on a spiritual journey as a Faithful Family and we need to tune out all the noise. For me, that's the computer. For Mr. Faithful and me as a couple, it's tv shows after the kids fall asleep - the tv will be turned off and we plan to fall in love with each other all over again. It's our 6th wedding anniversary Saturday. We are going to a Charismatic Healing Mass first thing that morning. We need to be healed. We ALL need some type of healing. Farewell Faithful Ones. I shall return with a renewed spirit and I pray for an even deeper love for Christ, my husband and my children. Xoxo. 

Transformation

"One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, 'Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you or harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people." (Acts 18:9-10).

This passage reminds me of the most powerful spiritual moment I have experienced in my short life. I have been thinking more about that feeling lately and yearn for it all the time! For those who have never felt the unafraid, completely trusting, and full love of Christ, I will pray you, too, will be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is a feeling, I believe, we will all feel once we are called to our real home.

If you would like to read my experience you can do so here: http://faithfulmamadiary.blogspot.com/2011/11/we-are-called.html

This last month has been life changing for my husband and me. We have a higher level of spirituality that I honestly did not think we would achieve! We have been together for just about 10 years; the last 6 we have made such a difference. Not only making a difference individually, but in our marriage, our parenting, friendships and our lifestyle.

You would never guess it now if you did not know me back then, but just 6 years ago I was a heavy smoker (2 packs a day), heavy drinker (the bartenders knew me by name and drink), blasphemer, liar, I never attended Sunday Mass, and basically denied most of the Ten Commandments. I have LOTS of work to do. I am still very much a sinner....but now I strive to notice my sins and correct them to please my God. I love my Father and want to make Him proud!!!

Are you spiritual?

Are you religious?

Jesus wants us to be BOTH. He gave the Apostles (our very first pope, priests & bishops) the Church and the Last Supper was the very first Mass! You can read about that more here: http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/churb1.htm

Mr. Faithful and I attended our very first Charismatic Healing Mass last week. It was AWESOME!! Out of the ordinary for us, so to be honest we were a little weirded out at first. But WOW!!

We experienced the Gift of Tongue twice during the Mass. I wasn't sure if it really was, but I did feel faint both times it happened. We were standing and I had to grab the pew. I felt almost nauseated I guess the word would be? I cannot explain it. It was very strange, but in an amazing way!

It just so happens the next one is on the morning of our anniversary. Hmmmmm, ok God we are listening!!!

During the Healing Mass, the priest spoke of "invoking the Spirit" and "becoming children of God". Sound familiar? That is because my last blog was about those two particular phrases...only thing is, I wrote that a week before the mass!!!

You can reread that post here:  http://faithfulmamadiary.blogspot.com/2012/05/invoke-spirit-invade-my-heart.html

I am telling you, something INCREDIBLE is happening to me!! I thought I was faithful before, but now that I ask Jesus to invade my heart every morning, I am transformed!! I can see through Christ's eyes much easier now!!

Allow God to take FULL control and open your heart to Jesus. Do not resist. The results are AMAZING!

Have an incredibly Faithful day!!

Invoke the Spirit, Invade My Heart

I accept that I am a sinner.

I accept that I have flaws, issues and immature moments.

Yet...

God still calls upon me to be His servant.

I inhale the Holy Spirit...I exhale and spread the love of Christ as best as I can. I eat Jesus' Body and Blood every Sunday so I can remain nourished. I offer myself to do His biding, to empower others, perhaps, to feel the same as I do.

I offer myself to be a ray of light in the dark world.

I am ready and willing to be crucified just as Jesus was. I am a humble servant for my King.

I have been called upon yet again after a long time waiting. Now, I am called for my family. I have no idea what will happen, but know in my soul something great is in store for Faithful Family! With many prayers, meditation, trust and love, we are fully on board with God's will for us.

Mr. Faithful and I have realized, with the signs I have been given, we must be literal children of God. So, we wait in great excitement as children do on Christmas Eve!

We do not know what our future holds, but know it will be awesome so long as we have complete trust in the Lord!

I have been shown, through the Holy Spirit, St. Therese of Lisieux. She is the Little Flower, the child of God. Ironically, this is the saint I chose as my Confirmation name at 13 years old. Had I known then what I know now about her, I'd say I chose the perfect saint that I can relate to. No wonder why I chose her! She is my patron saint!

Have you ever learned about any of the saints? Do you have one that calls you?

As I learn more everyday, I trust more.
As I trust more, I can love better.
As I love better, I am drawn more intimately with Christ.

As my patron saint said her vocation was love, so do I. I am meant to love others in a way to draw them closer to God.

I INVOKE THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Use my body as a vessel to gather Your flock, dear Lord. Allow others to witness the ultimate love only You can have for us, sweet Jesus! I am Yours and I ask that You invade my heart every day for the rest of my life. AMEN!!

What is your vocation?

What are you meant to do on this earth before you are called Home?

I will leave you today with a powerful prayers that has been crying out to me the last two weeks.

THE MAGNIFICAT

My soul magnifies the Lord

And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; 

Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;

For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;

Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And Holy is His name;

And His mercy is from generation to generation

On those who fear Him.

He has shown might with His arm,

He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

And has exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich he has sent away empty.

He has given help to Israel, His servant,

Mindful of His mercy even as He spoke to

Our fathers, to Abraham and to

His posterity forever. Amen.

Have an incredibly faithful day. Peace in Christ. Xoxo

The Cross We Bear and How To Handle It

The last few weeks have been filled with gladness, sorrow, tragedy, triumph, spirituality and happiness. A roller coaster of a ride for Faithful Family!

It's easy to lose sight of important things in life when you surround yourself with a busy lifestyle...play dates, sports, work, meetings, internet; but when something happens that throws us out of our normal routine, it puts all that secular business on hold. You are forced to reevaluate what it truly means to let God be in control.

Even those who do not allow Jesus into their lives have this happen at times. In my observation, this is one way our Heavenly Father gives them an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior...but they must be willing to surrender themselves to His unconditional love. Sometimes that is the hardest part for people. God only gives us what He knows we can handle. We have all told ourselves at some time or another, "I just can't take any more." But if we just look at each moment as a gaining of wisdom, we can start to see the big picture.

No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. 

God is faithful, and He will not let you be tested beyond 

your strength, but with the testing He will also provide the 

way out so that you may be able to endure it. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13

I saw this next excerpt and wanted to share it as it relates to what I am trying to remember myself. I hope it touches you as it touches me. Maybe God is talking to you through my writing? I will leave you today with a dialog all of us could have with God. Make it a faithful day and give your worries and stress to God!!!

Me: God, can I ask You a question?
God: Sure
Me: Promise You won't get mad
God: I promise
Me: Why did You let so much stuff happen to me today?
God: What do u mean?
Me: Well, I woke up late
God: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start
God: Okay
Me: at lunch they made my sandwich wrong & I had to wait
God: Hmmmmm
Me: On the way home, my phone went DEAD, just as I picked up a call
God: All right
Me: And on top of it all off, when I got home ~I just want to soak my feet in my new foot massager & relax. BUT it wouldn't work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did You do that?

God: Let me see, the death angel was at your bed this morning & I had to send one
of My Angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that
Me (humbled): OH
GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road.
Me: (ashamed)
God: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick & I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work.
Me (embarrassed):Okay
God: Your phone went dead bcuz the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered.
Me (softly): I see God
God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a short that would knock out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I'm Sorry God

God: Don't be sorry, just learn to Trust Me.... in All things , the Good & the bad.
Me: I will trust You.
God: And don't doubt that My plan for your day is Always Better than your plan.
Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, Thank You for Everything today.
God: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I Love looking after My Children...

A Few of My Favorite Things

So it's been a while since I've written. We've dealt with sickness (all five of us had a virus), play dates, Elizabeth Ministry meetings & gatherings, our oldest son's birthday (the big 0-5!), party planning then party canceling, family visiting from out of town, and most importantly, rejoicing in Jesus rising from the dead!


About a month ago, my very dear friend chased Mr. Faithful down after a Sunday Mass. She dared him...and I am so very glad he accepted the dare.
On the way home that morning, before telling me, he dared me. He said it with a smile (I love that handsome smile by the way!), "I want us to do this together...I need you to trust me and accept the dare first before I tell you exactly what it is." So I trusted my husband and accepted it. He then proceeded to tell me, The 1,000 Things I'm Grateful For Dare. What we have done over the last 4 weeks has been life changing for the better. We have experienced a joy in our home that we feel has never been!


I'm so very grateful for Faithful Friend...so I want to make a point right now to tell her...I LOVE YOU!!! I LOVE YOUR UNCONDITIONAL FAITH AND LOVE FOR CHRIST AND I ADMIRE HOW YOU JUST KNOW WHEN YOU ARE BEING CALLED!!!!!


Seeing my husband have joy in his eyes again makes me well up with (happy!) tears! Watching him enjoy his time with our Faithful Boys brings me a happiness I can never explain in words. God's love is ever present in our home, and now Mr. Faithful is finally 100% on board with our family's journey to Christ!


For those who have not been keeping up with my blog, Mr. Faithful went through quite a bit of health problems last year. From two cancer scares to possible Chron's Disease to finally a diagnosis of low testosterone, he was mentally and physically not available to his family, friends and co workers. He finally decided to heal himself spiritually (and medically for the testosterone) and wow, what a difference! And now the Dare has brought him even to a better state of being for not only himself, but for our marriage and children. 
We have always figured out a way to triumph over obstacles...this time it was not our doing...this was definitely the Holy Spirit blessing us with such a fabulous gift! I believe God has granted us this joy because of how faithful we have been to Him through the hardships we have endured. I thank You, Heavenly Father, for sending us Your love through Your faithful followers and through this Dare! 


So, with all this being said, do you feel the need to be a better person for Jesus, your spouse, children, friends? Do it, I dare you. 

Who We Are Defines Us...Who Are You?

In this land of internet waves and seas of profile pics, jumping comments that let us know when Jane has arrived at the grocery store and how far along Allison is in pregnancy, who are we? We can't really (and I mean REALLY) know 300 people, can we?

What happened to face to face conversation in lieu of texting?

What happened to picking up the phone and actually talking?

I try look for the good in everyone...even if they judge me and see no good in me. I have reminded myself that when someone is judging me but never calls or talks to me, all they know me from are my facebook posts...or other people talking about me. How sinful are we as humans that we could do this to each other? I am at fault with gossip and false witness as well. I try not to, but sometimes that devil is tricky.

'A false witness will perish, but a good listener will testify successfully.' (Proverbs 21:28)

I think this passage is very powerful for all of us...even those that do not feel the same about Christianity can attest how they feel when being talk about by someone who really does not know them.

When we get to REALLY  know each other, we see people in a different light.

"I didn't know how much I had in common with Sue."

"Wow, James is so different than I am, I'd like to learn more about our differences!"

Yet, even sometimes, the people whom we should be closest to are complete strangers! How is this possible? How could that happen? People grow up, live different lives and start families of their own. Sometimes it is hard for us as humans to be outgoing for others in a time where life is passing us by with diaper changes, sleepless nights, teething, soccer games, Sunday Mass, marriage. Sometimes we have to be the person to start. Who are you thinking of while reading this? Pick up the phone and call them; better yet, go over to their home and talk face to face if you can! Xoxo.

Real Feminism

I am a woman.

I was granted the gift of labor pains and birthed three times...thanks be to God!
I have noticed the everyday miracles...God exists in everything!

I am a woman.

I cry at simplistic things...I am blessed at times to see through Christ's eyes!
I learn more every day...thank You, Jesus, for humbling me!

I am a woman.

I love my children and know they teach me...God works through my children.
I love my husband and will always support him in all he does...God called us to the vocation of marriage, a sacred sacrament we will never give up on; thanks be to God for being the center of our union!

I am a woman.

I support other women and friends with their decisions...thank you, Blessed Mother Mary and Elizabeth, for modeling what women need to do to create a community of supporters!
I create friendships in places I never expect...thank You, Jesus, for keeping me on a better path to know You!!

I am a woman.

I have a choice...I choose life for ALL people, born and unborn alike...thank You, Heavenly Father, for showing me Your way to life!
I plan to be a doula and lactation specialist...thank You God for helping me empower women to have their perfect birth!

I am a WIFE, I am a MOTHER, I am a FRIEND, I am an AUNT, I am a SISTER, I am a DAUGHTER, I am a MINISTER, I am a LEADER.

I AM A WOMAN.

Sshhh!!!

Quiet now
Not another peep!

For all my babes
Are fast asleep.

Sand man's come
And drowsed their eyes.

Dreams of happiness;
And purple skies.

Hush now please,
For they cannot wake.

Oh how I love them
Makes my heart ache!

To see their sleeping,
Angelic faces,

Dear Lord, I do thank thee
For granting me these graces.
 


Written by Faithful Mama 3-7-12

Stuck in a Rut

Yep, that's me...I am stuck. Two weeks ago I was on fire with the Holy Spirit! Now I feel as though I am clawing at the side of a cliff trying to hang on.

I somehow, selfishly, have tried to grab the reigns from my Father's Hands. I don't even know how to drive on my own.

Every minute of every day I have to remember that I am never in control. If I have an inkling of negativity, what I SHOULD do is silently ask Jesus for help. What I NEED to do is offer those icky feelings so that I can be at peace with any given situation.

Why am I not doing this?

It seems so easy written down on paper.

What is wrong with me?

Do you feel this way too???

As I humble myself, as I lose my pride with recognizing my selfishness, my true original sinful behavior, I realize that this is my cross to bear during this Lenten season. As Jesus was in the desert, my 40 days is learning more about my place in this world as a Catholic woman and as a spiritual warrior.

I must take each day as it comes. Each valuable lesson my children can teach me, I must open my eyes to and see what Jesus sees. I have been looking with eyes of the flesh and this is why I have been so negative lately!

A REVELATION!!!!!!

 

Two weeks ago during Sunday mass, I had knelt down for prayers after receiving the Eucharist. All of a sudden, I just wanted to cry for no reason at all...I opened my eyes and I just looked around at all my brothers and sisters in Christ. I was seeing them through Jesus' eyes!!

I cannot explain to those who have never felt this. I was filled with the Holy Spirit!!!

I know God wanted me to see with unconditional love to all my family (in this instance it just so happened to be my Catholic community). It was a wonderful feeling!!

Now I understand why He wanted me to experience that!

He needs me to be the woman I am meant to be.

All I needed was to sit and explain my experiences to you, dear Faithful Ones! THANK YOU!!!!!

What does God expect of you?

Are you at the side of a cliff barely hanging on or are you standing on top of it?

I share my experiences with you in hopes that you will reflect on your own personal intimacy with Christ. Everyone has a calling, a vocation. Everyone is called to do something great. All we have to do is be open and listen. Xoxo.

As We Grow

So I've taken this past week to learn more about my faith, my children, my husband, and myself. I have become more humble and I feel I have gained even more empathy for my brothers and sisters (by this I mean all human kind). I have come even closer to Christ as the Holy Spirit has worked through my Faithful Boys for me just yesterday. I knew God wanted me to build a prayer corner in our home for a reason!

I found out that one of my best friends whom I've known for 15 years is learning that his newborn baby (born literally yesterday) has complications and is currently in the NICU. After I found out, I asked my two older Faithful Boys to help me pray for Baby Faithful. As soon as I asked that, with no hesitation, both of them ran to this corner, knelt down and began to pray for him. I was amazed and proud! I started to cry *I am a big emotional lady, I cry at everything - just sayin'* Oldest Faithful Boy wrapped his arms around me, placed his head on my shoulder and said, "He'll be ok Mom, don't worry." My not even 5 year old said this to me! I cried more because I knew that was the Holy Spirit!

God certainly works through children, and I am humbled and honored that my children are babes of Christ! I like to think that as I get older, the more I realize how dumb I really am. How ignorant to the splendor that is Jesus Christ!! He places everyone and everything in exactly the precise spot at just the right time!

Those who trust in Him will understand truth, and the faithful will 

abide with Him in love, because grace and mercy are upon His

 elect, and He watches over His holy ones. ~ Wisdom 3:9

I have learned so much in just this past year about my own Catholic faith. I am proud to say that! I look back on what I've done in the past and shake my head in shame, but then soon realize that I am forgiven by God Himself!  

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us

 our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. ~ 1 John 1:9

I am praying for Baby Faithful to be ok. I am praying for my good friend, his wife, and their other children to stay strong in their faith to know that God will get them through this trial. God knows exactly what to do. If we allow Him to be in control, we will be protected. Sometimes it doesn't feel like God is on our side; sometimes bad things happen to us. But there is always a reason. 

Consider it joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. ~ James 1:2-8 

Remain faithful. Trust in the Lord, even during the most difficult of times. Those times are when Jesus hugs us the tightest if we let Him. Xoxo.

Love Life Don't Just Live

We all die a little more each day;

So let us learn to laugh more and play.

Run in the fields with no shoes on!

Laugh with the kids more,

For their life's just begun.

Instead of thinking of what needs to be done,

Remember life's short.

Remember to have FUN!

Everyone has a job to do,

But leave work at work

And you'll be renewed!

You'll soon see what you need is right there...

In your heart.

Money is needed to pay your way.

Laughter is really needed each and every day.

To love is divine 

And soon we will see

That love is all we ever really need.

Faithful Mama 2-12-12

*I woke up with this poem in my head at 6am this morning and couldn't do anything till I wrote it down! Thank You Heavenly Father for giving this poem to me to share with others!!*

The Phone Only Challenge (Part 2)

For those of you who read my last blog, you know we went without all electronics aside from radio and phone *no text/apps/games on the phone* Many would think this is extreme parenting. We feel we made the right decision and with the silence in the home, prayer, and the Holy Spirit guiding Mr. Faithful and me as parents, we created the new rules of our home.

New Faithful Family Rules 

No video games Monday - Thursday. *exception during car rides*

•  Point chart implemented - Each Faithful Child gets 15 minutes Monday morning. For each good deed or chore he does he receives a minute. For each not so nice thing (ie hitting, not listening, ect.) he gets a minute taken away. On Friday morning each will have a total number of minutes from the week. Both will be allowed to play video games/computer games for the allotted time at appropriate intervals throughout the day depending on the number of minutes.

No Facebook for Mom & Dad Monday - Thursday. 

• Friday we will allow ourselves no more than 15 minutes of computer time while the kids are asleep (nap time or bedtime). Facebook has become too much of a problem for me personally. I want to help every person that writes something negative about their situation and it is consuming. To the point where I need to cut ties. Mr. Faithful is willing to participate in this rule for me *thanks honey!!*

Television time restricted 

• We, as of late, have been keeping the tv on even if we are not watching it. This creates so much unnecessary noise. Tv will be restricted to one movie (or two tv shows) in the am and the same in the pm. The less the better!

Saturday & Sunday Electronic Time Rules 

• 20 minutes of video games/computer time (both kids and parents) during the day.

 

 

 

These new guidelines we have created may sound drastic to some or still too much electronic time to others. But this seems to work for us. This past week has been a lot less stressful during the times we have kept the television and video games off. We have even created a new corner in our living room...

 

 

 

This is our new Prayer Corner. The Faithful Boys and I decided that we need more prayer time (who doesn't, right?!). We have had our Lady the Sacred Heart on top of the book shelf in this room *afraid the boys would break her!!* but something came over me and I felt the kids need to actually see it. We will add to this in time, but for now we have our rosaries, prayer books, a candle and statues of Mary, the Child Jesus, and St. Francis of Assisi there to help us offer prayers to our Heavenly Father. 

We are doing this for our boys...and each other. Our family is everything to us and we do this for them.

 There is a fine line between using technology for good and being consumed with it. Our family has an addiction. Our family, together only with God at the center, will overcome and become stronger without so much outside noise. With silence we can hear each other better. With silence we can listen to our true callings better. I thank our Heavenly Father for filling my husband and me with His Holy Spirit to guide us to be better parents for our Faithful Boys.

It all started with us falling in love because of God. We heed His call and He always provides. If there is something in your life you feel needs to change...go for it! With God, all is possible! Xoxo.

The Phone Only Challenge (Part 1)

So, Mr. Faithful and I have been discussing technology and how we are grateful for how we can do so many things in different ways with it these days compared to the horse and buggy way back when. It is amazing how God gives us these means to think of new ways to communicate! However, lately in our home, it has also become the topic in a discouraging way as well. Our Faithful boys (ages *almost* 5 and 3) love to play video games. We let them play learning games from sites we have found online (If you haven't checked out starfall.com for early learners do so!!) but they also love their Nintendo DS systems.

This part is difficult for us. Mr. Faithful LOVES video games. Before I met him, his time was consumed with work and video games. I slowly weaned him from the joystick (lol!). Now he is an outsider looking in on our children and sees himself mirrored into their gaming. He finds this unacceptable, as do I. No child should wake in the morning and ask to play the games. We limit the time they have with them. I time them at ten minutes each play time and they usually play roughly 4 times a day...so really they are playing about 40-45 minutes a day total. Not sure what the AAP would say about that, but oh well, we're always learning, right?!

After much discussion between my fabulous husband and me, we came up with The Phone Only Challenge. Maybe you need a change in your home too? Maybe too much time is committed to the latest season of Dancing With the Stars or Biggest Loser? Would your children rather stay indoors and play video games than run around outside (regardless of the temperature)? Maybe you should think about this too?

The Phone Only Challenge

RULES:

~No television

~no movies

~no video games

~no computer

~no facebook (gasp!!!)

~no texting

(and for me) no blogging!!!!

keep the radio blasting (dance party anyone?!)

Keep all electronics off (except phone calls for emergency)

Explore the world outside of the computer

if you have a question, find it in a book instead of google

learn about each other all over again

do some art projects and get messy, just to have fun and clean up together!

learn something new about your world without watching the 10:00 news

Now, I know this is a lot of "No" and not a lot of "Yes", but if you think about where our time goes, where does your time go? In our house we have let everything slip over the past year. I hate to admit this, but being humble and biting my pride is part of what God asks us to do to become closer to Him. I want to please my God and could honestly care less what the secular world thinks. Thanks be to God, Mr. Faithful follows when the Holy Spirit calls on him as a father, and he will agree with me, for our home, this is a necessary means to bring our family even closer to God and each other!

 

 

Our children mean everything to us. We are not doing this to take their joy away. We are doing this to put joy back into our lives and not become shackled to the misery that is a secular world. We live for Christ...not for Nintendo, or Facebook, or Joe Schmoe. Some may not agree with me and that is ok! Mr. Faithful and I are doing this for our family to better our children and to make them realize there is more to life than technology. For those that agree with me, STAND UP!! Take Monday, February 6, 2012 and log off of everything. Keep your phone on but do not text or play Hanging With Friends (or related games!). Be faithful friends and do what you feel is best for your families! This, my Faithful Friends, is what is best for my family! And we do it for not only God, but for our children. Xoxo.

  

With Age Comes.........Patience

As I am writing this I can hear my three Faithful Boys snoring away. I wonder what they are dreaming? I am grateful for this silence as it's never seeming quiet in my home. I have learned over the years to be quiet...now I'm not saying I am - trust me, I'm the first to admit I'm pretty loud!! But, in another sense, I have learned to bite my tongue. This is very hard for me at times because I am so darned hard headed (some have called me too opinionated, but I don't' think anyone can have too many opinions).

Those that know me could probably back me in saying I have changed as I age. But isn't that what life is all about? Trying to reach our best potential. I try my best to be a good Christian. And for me, to be silent and to have patience is what is necessary to reach my goal. What goals do you have? Are you aware of what needs to be done? Are you striving for that 'perfection'?

Sometimes we fall. Sometimes we become stuck in a rut and cannot get ourselves out...but when we have a community to pull us out, it makes life so much better! Who is your community?

God loves all of us. Whether we are Baptist, Muslim, Catholic, Atheist, or Agnostic. I am sure it hurts Him if we do not have our faith put in Him...but regardless of how we feel toward Him, He will ALWAYS love us no matter what. He is the reason why I strive for that 'perfection'. He is why I am more silent now. In my silence to the outside world, I am talking to my Heavenly Father! And now that I am more silent, I can listen better to the needs of others. It is amazing how God works!! If we were all just a little more silent...and a lot more patient.

A Time, Place, Event or Person - Do You Know You Are Called?

I attended my very first Mission over these last three days. It was AMAZING! This man, Fr. Tom, was phenomenal and drew in 700 people to our church. That means that many people WILLINGLY went to church to attend something other than Sunday mass!!!

We discussed the seven sacraments...

Baptism

Eucharist

Reconciliation

Confirmation

Vocation

Marriage

Anointing of the Sick

Do you know when you are being called to do something great? Maybe it's a feeling you're getting, a person continues to bug you about something, or you actually hear a voice in your head? God is calling me now, and He used that priest at the Mission. So many parts of the Catholic faith are misunderstood. There are stereotypes and prejudices that hinder even our own Catholics to truly be submerged in their faith!! I find this disturbing. If only we all open our minds to heavenly ways!

 

I've posted this picture before. Those of you who've been reading my blogs probably remember this. I took this picture at a place in Iowa called the Grotto. It's a fabulous place and unbelievably built by human hands...one pair of human hands. A priest, Father Dobberstein, was called by God to build it. He listened and it is utterly amazing. Here is the link if you choose to check it out: http://www.westbendgrotto.com/index.htm Any way, we are going to play can you find what's in this picture. Do you see Jesus anywhere in this picture? And I do not mean a statue. Really search for Him. He may be calling you.

This picture above is my oldest Faithful Boy taken last May. This was the day of my Grandmother's funeral that I could not attend. I decided to make that day a day of prayer, meditation and reflection in her honor. I took my Faithful Boys outside and they wanted to use the sidewalk chalk in the garage. My Faithful Boy, right before this was taken, tells me, "Mommy, I drew Gramma GG for you!" What do you see? I see that my son drew an angel. This tells me not only that my Grandmother is an angel in heaven, but also that my son, at four years old, listened to God and did what he knew he needed to do. I could not be more proud of my children, and this day will forever be a smile on my heart.

How does God call you? Are you listening? We all need to listen more. Maybe we need to be silent more and just listen. We sometimes forget that listening is more important than talking. I know I am bad with this. I am learning. We are always learning. As I get older I try to humble myself, I try to become more patient. 

When you read my stories, think of your own life. When have you had signs? Have you listened and followed, or ignored? What was that outcome? If we listen and follow, God will always provide. If we ignore, we may still eventually get to where we need to be...but it may be a rocky road to get there. I choose to follow God and His calling for me. How about you?

You've Got a Friend

As I came up with this title I am quickly escaping in the corners of my mind. I am sipping a great glass of Merlot, sitting in front of a fire and listening to James Taylor. Aaaaahhh, now that's relaxing to me! Yet, in reality, I am hearing my Faithful boys argue about who gets to fall down next and who gets to do the pushing...not even joking about that, they are seriously doing this. Oivay!

Everyone has stress. Everyone has trials and obstacles. You either tread the proverbial water or you sink. I'm a floater not a sinker, and I want you to stay afloat as well. Yes - I am talking to YOU!!

First, let me start with why I want to help. I am always allowing myself to be guided by the Holy Spirit. And my awesome Heavenly Father tells me to help by my words, and my works. 'What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill', and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.' (James 2:14-17...but please pick up a Bible and read the rest of that chapter 2!!!)

I have said before I have been blessed to feel God's unconditional love. I yearn for more!!! I want you all to feel that same feeling. I was watching a documentary the other night about natural beauty of the world and someone said that when God created the world, he forgot to give us the ability to describe some of the wonders with words...this is how I feel about being filled with the Holy Spirit - it is indescribable and awesome and fearless and love.

When we go through difficult times, we look to our family or perhaps our friends for support, which is great! We should live in a community of people we trust! Sometimes God works through those trusted people to help someone through difficult times. I feel I'm being driven to do just this right now. I hope the person this is intended for knows how much I love them and pray they can let go and allow God to fill them with the Holy Spirit.

One of my favorite pieces of scripture is this: 'No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.' (1 Corinthians 10:13) Oh how I love this quote! I take this as, God will test us to our limits of what we can handle, and when we allow Him control He will give us that relaxed feeling!! It's hard to offer your stress and worries to someone else. But when we really truly tell God, "I offer this up to You because I need it gone from my body." He will take it. God does not want to see us suffer. His only Son suffered and died for ALL of us (even those who choose not to believe it)...He doesn't want anymore suffering. But He also gave us choice and free will. It depends on us how we choose to use it. Offer your stress up. Say prayers, have a conversation with God, yell at Him if you need to! He will and does take it! He is our loving Father, He wants to see us happy and succeeding in life! And to be successful does not always have to be about money (just want to throw that in here).

Pray that you have the strength to overcome even the most difficult times. Leave it to God to lead you in the right direction even if it seems like it may be taking you upstream and against the current. Trust in Him that He will never let you falter if you keep your faith in Christ. Never feel abandoned because you are never alone.

"Make me know Your ways O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth, and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation, for You I wait all day long." (Psalms 25:4-5)

Make your day a faithful one and take some time to relax. Xoxo.

Take a Breath....Say a Prayer

We are going to start this new year, and this first post of the new year, off with a meditation.....

Breathe in.......breathe out.....breathe in........and out. Good! If you need to take a few more deep breaths, please do. When you fill your body with deep breath, all the bad stuff exits, and good comes in! Your blood pressure will lower, your digestive system will even relax!

And now that we are all a little more relaxed after those awesome breaths, let us begin with this:

Heavenly Father, we thank you for another year of life! We thank you for the blessings You bestow on us. We also thank You for the hardships we faced in the past year(s), because this is what creates a stronger bond with You. With this new year, dear Lord, we ask that You bless us with a stronger faith. We ask that You help us to fill others with the Holy Spirit. We ask that You guide each of us to what we are meant to do on this earth. As You sent Your only Son to die for our sins, a selfless act that no human man could ever endure willingly, we ask that You take our earthly fear away. Help us to see all human beings through Your eyes, so that we may love as you love us. So that we can have unconditional love for all. Through Christ we can conquer all that is Holy. Please help us to see what is right and just and to dismiss all that is not. In Christ Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

I have been very lackadaisical with my faith as of late. I know I should be reading my scripture daily, and I have not been. I know I should be learning as well as teaching my Faithful Boys about each feast day and the saints, and I have not been. I am admitting I got caught up in earthly issues. The hustle and bustle of the season gets to a lot of us...and I was definitely caught up with too many earthly problems. But I am here, now, asking for forgiveness. I need to get back to Confession!!!!

I was on my way to Mama Faithful and Dadio's this morning and was just so consumed with frustration. I was ready to go, my boys took forever and a day to finish breakfast, get dressed, and then almost out the door, they had to go to the bathroom. I should not have been stressed about this, but I was. So, I prayed a rosary on the way to my parents' house. It's been a few weeks since I've done it. I meant every word of each prayer. In fact, the more I said, the more I meant. With each prayer, more stress melted away. With each prayer, I was climbing higher to Christ. By the time I got to their house, I was back!!! I felt like me again...I felt like Faithful Mama again!!!

There are times when we get caught in the monotony of the everyday. Same stuff, different day. There are also times when we get caught up in this earth. Worried about people; stressed about money; caught up in drama of some sort. What we all need to do is take a step back from ourselves and just do nothing but pray.

Grab your Bible......got it? Ok, follow these instructions...........

Hold it in your hands and close your eyes.
Say (out loud or in your mind) "God, please guide my fingers to what I need to read."
Then finger through (eyes still closed!!) and open to the page you are meant to see.
Read and thank our Heavenly Father!!

It truly is amazing what we are capable of when God is in control. Xoxo.