You Wonder Why Things Happen...?

"Bousset has a sentence which is beyond the comprehension of an apostle who does not realize what must be the soul of his apostolate. It runs: When God desires a work to be wholly from his hand, he reduces all to impotence and nothingness, and then He acts."

-Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard, The Soul of the Apostolate

From Benjamin

"Mommy!  Can I have my own email so I can send Gracie funny messages like... like... when I was washing dishes I used your toothbrush!"

Quiet

Ears Pierced!

Grace got her ears pierced this week-13 and looking very grown up! She's been very diligent about cleaning and taking care of them too. I think the diamond studs compliment her shiny black locks very well!

Last Look at Aaker

Not aching to be back at all- I just love sunny window sills- especially in the prayer room and the kitchen.  I think I'll miss that tree though- and the gorgeous shadows it casts on the house.  School closed exactly a week ago and it feels like forever ago.  Thank you Jesus so much for summer!

Be Not Afraid!

"The end of human creatures is union with God; and in this their happiness consists."

-St. Thomas Aquinas

Lately I've had a lot of extra time to pray (seeing as it's summertime) and I got really scared one day that I shouldn't be praying so much.  Ridiculous, I know- but the reason being that I'd love to be a mother someday and all I see is mothers being busy and not being able to go to daily mass and adoration at 6:30 AM- and you know how when you get tired and you spend too much time by yourself you get cooky. Anyway, How could I possibly handle being a mother if I prayed so much now? Why would I get myself used to something that can't last? But then I realized that all I see also is how many mothers don't trust in the Lord, how many mothers don't act like Christians, how many mothers have the "Martha" attitude instead of the "Mary". We don't need the Martha attitude in the world- it's not that it was just her lot in life not to sit and contemplate with Jesus. No! She can love her work and wait on Jesus in peace and love rather than stress. "You are anxious about many things... Mary has chosen the better part." Martha has every chance to contemplate God because she exists. It was Mary's time to sit and contemplate- which everyone needs and everyone needs to make time for. The Mary type is the one who trusts the Lord to make time for everything. It doesn't make her unsuitable for motherhood.  The Lord will make time for me to be quiet with him if I am a mother some day. What kind of a mother would I be if I gave up prayer? How would I stand up to the devil? How would I stay myself through all the temptations? How would I deal with the world. I wouldn't is the answer. I'd resent my husband, yell at my kids, complain about housework, go to Sunday mass hot and angry. Everything in the Bible is true. Everything they tell you religion class is true too- you need to give up your life joyfully! Blessed are the persecuted, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, it shall be theirs! I need not be afraid of drawing closer to him, we are all meant for heaven!