You Crazy Homeschooling Mom! Part I

I have recently become overwhlemed myself with my own homeschooling environment.  I thought I would never feel this way, and frankly, I am a little confused about all the feelings I am having.  I am considering a temporary insanity, due to hormonal changes.  (Can't help but laugh a little. . . )

I realized what a laid back, unstrict schedule, day by day outlook I have.  My kids are learning, but I feel I should be doing more and more and more until I have driven myself nuts over the idea.  I need saving from myself!  Definaltely hormonal.  So, I need my dearest friends to encourage me.  The thought of, (and yes, mothers of multiple children I KNOW feel this way sometimes!) adding another child to the family in September, and beginning a first grader and fifth grader in the same year is very much perplexing my ability to think clearly, and making my head spin.  I really feel I am under-educated in this area, so I need friends to pitch in and tell me how it goes!    I realized that too, I am not as creative in this area as I once thought.  I am baffled by the ideas so many other moms have!  How on EARTH do they come up with these ideas?! 

A mom new to the homeschooling realm told me I was like an "expert" in her eyes, and I just had to laugh.   I am so not.  Wellllll, at a moment of concern, I must turn to the Lord, and ask Him to guide me.  I honestly have been freaked out before, (this is only my second year),  and everything has always been ok.  So I really dont know why I am even worried.   Hmmmmm..... moms?  

". . . Thy Will be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven. . ."

How many times do we say that prayer, and TRULY submit ourselves to it?   (The OUR FATHER)

I was thinking the past week of a Homily a visiting priest to our parish said when he gave his HOMILY last Sunday. 

". . . . Thy Kingdom Come,  Thy Will be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven. . . ."

Watch and Listen!  Michael W.Smith- "Our Father Prayer"

When I think of these words from The Lord himself,  I am forced to submit myself.  How can I truly live this out in a prayer?  We pray b/c we want to, b/c we feel the need to have a relationship with God, our Lord, Our Savior.  So why not truly MEAN what we say then?  Jesus taught us everything we NEEDED to know, in order to attain Heaven.  His prayer to us, the Our Father, teaches us not only to fully TRUST and have confidence in the Father, but a submission on such a level, that we cannot possibly also live as WE want.  We turn into a new servant, with love towards Him, with a submission of love and obedience.  

"you cant have the cake and eat it too."  Ever heard of that one?  How do you suppose one can "say" the Our Father, and live in ways that contradict His Laws?   I think that meditating on the actual words of this prayer, could bring such a conviction to the soul.

I have been so troubled lately with the condition of our country, America.  I have been crushed with a sadness that I cannot put words to.  I feel powerless without prayer.  Such a great and wonderful people, crippled by their own wills.  Don't get me wrong, there are times when -you know it too- we sincere lovers of Christ put our own wills first.  Is it still wrong, when we compare it to the larger-scale "evils" around us?  Yes.  Any act of selfishness, and willful disobedience is offensive and causes separation from His Grace and Compromises His Will for us.  Prayer and mediating on the words of our all-time best guided prayer to us, the our Father, submerges us into conviction, and conversion, which is the fruit of the virtue to prayer. 

God is molding you with each sincere act of love you perform.  he is molding you with each act of mercy.  He is molding you with each act of compassion, each act of selflessness.  He is chiseling away the ugly of sin in your heart, and cleansing it with a refining fire of love, that only he can give, and thus allow us to give back in return.  I pray for this growing love in myself. 

Are some of you afraid to want what God wants??  For some, it might mean, giving up something you don't want to give up.  Maybe its the freedom to "choose", maybe its the kind of life you want to lead.  Maybe its your money, your job, your stature, or a number of many other things.  I know this can be true, because at a time, and still occasionally, its hard to pray that part of the "Our Father".   That is the struggle of the society these days.  We all know it.   "If I should want what God wants, then it means I shouldn't or I should do certain things that might cramp my lifestyle."  It is the hardest thing humanly possible, like I said before:  TRUSTING IN GOD.    But we must let Jesus take the wheel.  Only then will we be joined together on HIS path for us. 

Let your "YES" be a "YES" & your "NO" be a "NO"- on Planned Parenthood scandal

We have heard it in Holy Scripture. . . " let your Yes, be yes, and your no be no."  How often can we pin a moment in our lives, the country's politics, and family life where we haven't exactly said what we meant?  It seems that today, we tend to "imply" that we mean yes, without truly meaning yes, or imply no, when we sort-of mean a no.  Others deserve our honesty.   How can one truly know how we feel or what we stand for, if we say what we say only to appease others?  Can your "yes" or "no" get lost in the journey from your mouth to the other's ears?  God wants us to be honest.  He wants us to mean well, yes, and meaning well, we should be giving our YES to Him first. 

See, I realized today, that so many people are "in the middle"...  A sad and discouraging story for our country's health. Facebook, above all, these days, has ways of revealing truths and ways of people when we thought one thing, we discover another.  Its is strange.  The big issue these days, involve Planned Parenthood and the moral degenerativeness of that organization on society.    Some people believe that this organization's "good" services to women outweigh the evil of abortion.  Or claim abortions are the last thing they do. . .  ???? Say What?  They choose to support the "good" and can say that they don't agree with abortion, that shutting down Planned Parenthood would be jeopardizing and risking the Health "Care" of women, and families.  If you're reading this blog, I assume you may be like me, in believing this cannot make sense.  It doesn't.  It is ridiculous.  Scripture tells us that our YES should be a YES. And our NO be a NO.   One cannot possibly say something like, ". . .  well, they are mostly good, so I support them, even though I don't agree with such-and-such. . . "  something like this doesn't follow the teaching of Christ that our YES be a YES, or our no being a no.  We  should be so careful not to be ambiguous, or equivocal on issues such as morals.  One would have to assume that issues of morals especially of the common people, have caused our own government to be lead into an "appeasing" mode of conduct when it comes to legislature, and passing laws.  How many times have you even witnessed that our leaders can't even honestly define their OWN yeses and nos?  It's a terrible facade that most don't see, or even think about it as an epidemic.  But it's disastrous.     

A Mom's New Year's Resolution: Trusting In God

           Anyone ever hear this statement of Faith? . . . "Jesus I place all my trust in You."  One that I know that I have professed many times, but today, after talking to my husband when he called on his lunch break, (what a great hubby, you know?)   I think he asked me what my New Year's Resolution was.  Without hesitation, the first thing that came to mind was  , "Trust more in God."  Let Him lead my path. And not worry so much anymore."  I felt a peace in my heart when I said that.  It must be because that is when we can be the closest to Him in a way.  Fear and worry comes from you-know-where.  That is right.  Trust in God almost gives us a kind of eternal bond in itself I think to Heaven.  It is outside our realm of humanity.  I actually recall saying this to my husband also at that moment he asked.  "It is the hardest thing humanly possible [to trust God completely]."  It makes such perfect sense.        

         Because we are human, we are tempted into sin so much in this world, from EVERY aspect.  Think of it:  Satan would rather destroy the immediate nuclear family, than anything else.  Because all fruit is born in a "holy" family.   Mothers are so vulnerable.   We are in charge when the husbands are absent (working, or whatever), and we have a lot on our plate.  ESPECIALLY when we have many children, or souls, rather to look after.   Maybe a special needs child, or a family relationship in need of repair, even, that God chooses us to be the strong one, the leader of the Faith, and the vessel of His Love whom He will work through.  It can be overwhelming at times, no matter what our calling.   A friend related the mothers [of the world] to the Shepards at the scene of the manger in Bethlehem.  We have a flock of our own to keep.  Watching at all times. 

         Trusting in Him can do such a transformation in our own hearts, I believe.  Its a step I think we sometimes miss, when we feel we can spend more time in prayer, or simply trying to "better" ourselves.  I think we can hit a wall if we are doing it without trusting Him first and foremost.  Does that make sense?  This idea was just made clear to me, today actually.  Especially since I shared that I have been feeling numb, lately.  I thank God for Him having mercy enough to reveal His truth in such situations.  It's totally a "duh" moment.  :-p  "How come it didn't click before, this strongly?  heeeeello?" 

May you too, feel strengthened by God's gift of trust.  It's a bond with a divine nature that can move the mountains in our lives.  Including that baggage of sin we so want to be rid of.  (As I referenced before.) 

I wonder, myself, how awesome my days could be, if I trusted God the way He wants me to.  It makes me breathless.  And gives me a new hope. 

Merry Christmas.  Happy New Year!  "Resolve to Solve" this year!  :)

St. Faustina, who shared the message of God's Divine Mercy, pray for us!

What is Divine Mercy?

<JMJ>

Happy New Year: Time for a Spiritual Makeover

"I try to take one day at a time,  but sometimes several days attack me at once."  
-Jennifer Unlimited-

         Okay, as a mom, who is soooooo insanely busy with my kids, I have time rarely to keep new posts available for reading on a regular basis.  But I try.  Haha.  I am glad to be sharing again. 

         Lately I have been struggling with an overwhelming amount of anxiety on whether what I have to say at all is at all helpful to someone else.   Has anyone felt called to share an aspect of Faith and wondered the same thing?  If so, then you can figure that is what I am going through.  I know we all go through times of testing and challenges.  Perhaps, I am doubting what the Lord has planned for me?  I had to take some time off form Blogging to find some answers to those kinds of questions. . . . 

*****

          I was talking to Father today about some of the struggles I have as a mom, personally.  Now, I will open up a bit, yes, but as you know, some things are to be kept between your confident, so that The Spirit can truly guide you into the revolution of change that He wills for you. 
         One of my struggles is that I have an image of what I want my kids to be like, how smart I want them to be, what I want them to do with their lives.  Any mom know what I am talking about?  I have found that AFTER the fact, getting upset, (when I see that they aren't cooperating with MY plans for them, of course),that  their Creator above all,should be the One I lead them to, and He have the final say in what HE wants for them.  I understand and know this AFTER THE FACT, but in the heat of it, I get so riled-up, and frustrated, and cause disruption in myself and for them of God's Peace.  They get overwhelmed b/c I expect too much from them, I am hard on them, and myself.  It seems like a cycle of never ending battles within myself to do God's Will, but especially, that of letting GO.  And just TRUSTING HIS Provision for them.  I can elaborate here.