We have such beautiful girls. Samantha is fighting her molars, but at the same time she has started giving hugs and kisses, and I don’t think there is anything in the world cuter than a hug from a 14-month-old. We are truly blessed. And I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, with the NFP discussion going on on a friend’s blog. Some people struggle to figure out their signs and when they’re fertile, and it leads to frustration, fights, and general trouble. I, on the other hand, have a regular cycle and a hard time not knowing if I’m fertile, now that I know what to look for.
Category Archives: Credo
Those pesky “young adults”
This is a bit of a follow-up. I talked about the young adult meeting we went to in Baton Rouge in We Are One Body, and my suspicions have been confirmed. That night we had 10-ish people gathered from the whole diocese for what the textbook says young adults want to do: mostly fellowship, with a little prayer thrown in for kicks. This Wednesday, we had 12 or 13 (I don’t remember and don’t have time to count!) young adults from one parish - singles, married couples, college students, career folks, a great mix really – gathered to do - wait for it – service.
Babies and Sisters…
It’s amazing how kids learn. It’s so totally effortless. There are always the examples of four-year-olds casually using curse words in polite company, much to their parents’ embarrassment, or course. Yesterday, on the other hand, Lucy was walking around the house with her Fish do the Strangest Things book, standing on top of things, holding the book in front of her, and proclaiming, “A reading from Saint Paul. Babies and sisters…” I stopped in my tracks. She is clearly paying much closer attention while she wiggles away through Mass than we have been giving her credit for. (I asked about the “babies”, and she seemed to think that made more sense than “brothers”, which is understandable I guess since she has a severe lack of brothers at the moment.) Anyway, we are redoubling efforts to have such good influences and Saint Paul and his letters around, so that her osmosis can do its thing.
We are one Body
We went to a “young adult” gathering in the Baton Rouge diocese last night, and it got me thinking. So I’m really just thinking out loud (as it were) here, most of this isn’t clearly formed yet, but it has been bothering me for a while. The meeting itself was fine, they had a change of plan since the speaker had to cancel, so we had dinner, discussed what we would like to see from the young adult ministry (they’re really just getting started) and then had a brief prayer service. But it was the assumptions underlying the conversation that interested me most.
Merton on Suffering
Merton is speaking of seeing his father in a hospital bed, unable to speak and disfigured by a brain tumor. He is 14 or 15 years old, and has no faith or relationship with God to speak of.
Spiritual Birthing
There is an amazing article in this week’s America magazine. (The Oct. 5, 2009 issue.) It’s called “A Fiery Gift: A spiritual case for natural childbirth.” Susan Windley-Daoust has a deeper perspective on the issue, one I hadn’t considered, and I think everyone (female, or otherwise, and likely to give birth sometime soon or otherwise!) ought to read this. I think she is absolutely right-on.
Growing UP
Lucy is growing up too fast. Samantha is not far behind. I have not been looking to their changes, I like them little, but I’m trying to accept that God’s plan for them (I hope!) is that they grow up and help to bring about His kingdom. And I got a little encouragement here. With two girls, I can already relate to this, even though they’re so small. You should read it. And if you wonder why I link to Elizabeth Foss’s work so much, it’s partly because she is about the only one of my blog list I get around to reading any more, forget writing anything of my own!
Pirate Prayer
Ah, it’s been a while. Things have been slightly crazy. Dad had his third chemo treatment, and that is still going as well as can be expected. He’s tired and sick, but still in good spirits.
Craig’s mom needs prayers now, too. She had a biopsy done Tuesday and will find out September 9 if is it something they will have to treat. In the meantime, she’s recovering from the biopsy and the anesthesia, and trying not to worry too much about what the test results will be. When it rains around here, it pours!
Summer Breeze
[A note: I started this post on June 14, 2009, and finally was able to finish it today. That explains the time differences, if anyone would have noticed them!]
I hope I never forget those afternoons last May when we were going without air conditioner. (We mostly made it until June, by the way, but I’m not strong enough to do without when it’s getting up over 90 degrees every day!) I’d be trying to get the girls down for a nap, and it seemed so hot, and just a little breeze would come in through the open window, and it felt so cool and refreshing…how I praised God for those little breezes!
Feast of St. Dominic
Happy feast of St. Dominic, especially to those of you affiliated with the Order of Preachers! (And those of you with O.P. leanings!) Here is the little prayer from our Picture Book of Saints:
O God, let St. Dominic help Your church by his merits and teaching. May he who was an outstanding preacher of truth become a most generous intercessor for us. Amen!
