Trauma Recovery

   Little Annie watched a science show yesterday about aye-ayes.  They are very, very ugly.

Understandably, last night, she was crying in bed as she was trying to go to sleep.  "I can't get aye-ayes out of my mind!!  They are so scary!!"  She shrieked a shrill scream as she described their big eyes, their nasty faces, their long middle fingers, made for scooping up grubs out of trees.  "I'll never be able to get to sleep!" she cried.
   
Our family listened and we looked up pictures of aye-ayes and as a family we all agreed that they are as ugly as anything on God's green earth.  I said, "Hey, why don't you dress up for Halloween like an aye-aye?"  She stopped her crying, looked at me, and then replied, "That's a great idea.  I want to be an aye-aye for Halloween."  I also reminded her that they are not dangerous, but are actually sort of nice.  Just ugly.

I said, "Can you show us how you'll act out being an aye-aye for Halloween?"  She jumped off my lap and started crawling around, pretending to scoop up grubs.

I promised her that tomorrow we would make her costume.  But now it was time to go to sleep.

All day, she reminded me that today was costume day!  And so it was!  Long middle fingers, big, yellow eyes, pointy teeth, ears, fur and all!!  She is prowling around the house, eating imaginary grubs!

Red Shoes

   Mary's Confirmation preparation was a huge success.
   First, I had Mary's group of friends over weekly, and led their preparation for the sacrament.  That was a huge commitment of time, prayer and energy.
   Second, Mary's Confirmation was what it was supposed to be: her entry into Christian adulthood.  She completely understood that the gifts of the Spirit are for the purpose of evangelism, and for building up the Body of Christ.  She is equipped now for that purpose, and feels ready for that.
    Third--well, its all about the clothes and shoes!  Her Aunt Kimmy bought her a GREAT champagne colored silk dress--it is a knock out dress!  Then, I got her shoes.  Mary always loved red shoes.  From the time she was a baby, she loved red shoes.  As a toddler, she wore red cowgirl boots.  I knew the day would come in which she would want red high heels. Well, I decided that Confirmation was the time for her first red heels.  I wanted her to get her first "grown up shoes," NOT for a boy, not for a prom, not for a dance, not for her sweet sixteen, but for JESUS.  And so it happened.  We bought these great red heels, and they are a symbol of her adult life, which is marked by Christ.  So now, when she DOES go to a dance or a prom, and wears her red shoes, they are her Jesus shoes.  That makes me extra happy.

 Mary and her Dad!

 Jennifer and Abby--Sponsor and close friend!!

Mary and Granny!

Photo bomb!

Mary and Aunt June!

 Jennifer, Mary's sponsor, wrote this icon of St. Therese for Mary!  Amazing!!!

Annie's Request

    It was Annie's sixth birthday this week.  After Mass, she said, "Mom, can I go pray in front of Mary's Annunciation?"  A mature request from a tiny six year old!
   I could hardly believe my eyes as she sat there in her new birthday dress and her pink cowgirl boots.  I wonder what she prayed.
   God bless and keep her!!!

Mothers' Day

     Mothers have an exquisite vocation.  It is unique in its imitation of Christ.  More than priests or monks or nuns or dads, mothers are like Christ: they shed their blood for their children, like Christ on the cross; they give their bodies up for their children, like Christ at the Last Supper; they nourish their children with their bodies, as Christ proclaims in John Chapter 6.  Mothers are like Jesus in these and other remarkable ways.  Neither dads nor priests nor religious do these things.
     These are ways that God has elevated motherhood.  We would do well to take note: God has a special love for mothers.  He has endowed us with an incredible power.  As Christ transformed the world in a mighty way, so too, unified with Him, can we.
     We have seen women step into their power through economic and political power over the past six decades.
      Now it is time for women to take up their power through motherhood.  We mothers are raising the next generation.  The future of humanity passes by way of us.  We can remold humanity.  Let us see our power, and wield it with godly might and a zealous love for Christ.
   

Peace

   This is the kind of peace toward which I am constantly striving:
        "The Lord speaks of peace, of Shalom. . .  It is God's greatest gift and deepest desire for humanity, for it means flourishing and fulfillment at all levels of our existence.
        "But Jesus promises. . . a peace that the world cannot give.  Jesus' peace is not the comfort that comes from material wealth or good physical health or the companionship of friends, or even the intimacy of family life.  It is the Shalom of the Holy Spirit, the love that from all eternity connects the Father and the Son. . . Jesus breathed this Spirit on his disciples and then invited them to share it with everyone.  And such has been the mission of the Church for the past two millennia: to be an agent and instrument of the peace that the world cannot give."  (Fr. Robert Barron)

     Peace when I am miserable.
     Peace when I am falsely accused.
     Peace when I am wronged.
     Peace when I am tired, hungry, sick, or hurting.
     Peace when I am without some seemingly essential thing.

The Holy Spirit brings this peace.  It is the peace of St. Francis of Assisi.  It is the peace of Mary the Mother of God.  It is the peace of Padre Pio, Phillip Neri, Therese, Alphonsus of Liguori, Catherines of Alexandria, Siena, and Laboure.  These men and women are my teachers and friends, who are helping me in this, my most fundamental desire: to draw into the peace of the Holy Spirit.  Come Holy Spirit, Come!

Fun With Our Cousins!!

Kids worn out from playing tag!

Uncle Hunter and Aunt Stephanie making the kids laugh for a pic!

Outdoor Screening of the Peanuts Movie

Uncle Ron leads the pack in making home brewed root beer

Puzzles and Games--Green Slime was the Biggest Hit!

Quel Semestre!

   What a semester!  I taught Epistemology to 21 seminarians, who are juniors and seniors at University of Dallas/Holy Trinity Seminary.  We had quite a journey together, from Parmenides to Plato to Aristotle to Aquinas to Descartes, Hume and Kant.  The main purpose of the course was to defend realism against the skepticism of the modern philosophers.  Skepticism leads to every sort of relativism. . . so it seems worth taking a stand.
     I enjoyed teaching the material more than I can say.  But the unintended consequence of the semester was. . . I am so fond of these young men!  I can say with confidence that I have hope in the future of our Church.  These are wonderful, smart, kind, funny, and lovable human beings.   God bless each one of them!

Offering it Up

   Just since this past weekend, Sebastian's toddler terror has improved.  Yesterday, we were with some friends and their children.  As I held him, he screamed, directing me to go somewhere.  I said, "I will not move until you say 'Please' in a nice voice."  We stood their a long time.  But he finally said, "peees" in a nice voice.  YAY!  Then I moved.
    A few minutes later, a child asked him for the baby buggy Sebastian was pushing.  I said, "Sebastian, in one minute, it is Oliver's turn.  Please give it to him then."  Sebastian looked at Oliver, and gave him the buggy.  The moms all clapped.  It was great!
     Sebastian is one and a half.  For me as a Mom, one and a half till two and a half is the hardest stage.  The child has found their will, but does not have the language or the self-control to handle discipline and direction that older children respond to.  So, it is a limbo time, in which both the child and I as the mom are frustrated.
     As I stand on the precipice of a year of this trial, I have decided how I'm going to handle it: I'm going to offer it all up.
     Offering up suffering: This is a Biblical idea in which we offer our sufferings as prayers: “If we are being afflicted, it is for your salvation and consolation” (2 Cor. 1:6).  If we unify our sufferings with those of Christ, and if Christ's sufferings are powerful in bringing godly change, then so can ours be powerful prayers for healing and grace in the world (also see Colossians 1:24; Rom. 12:1).
      I'm going to offer up Sebastian's toddler trials for this prized intention, that "All my kids grow up to be hard core Catholics."  That phrase just popped into my mind yesterday, and I really like it.  I am really moved by this idea, that they not just manage to remain Catholic, but that they give their lives for the faith in sincerely, complete ways.  Hard core!  Yes!
     I would go through not just one more year, but TEN more years of toddler frustration, if only my children would emerge so solid in their faiths!!
     Motherhood is so well suited to offering up sufferings and frustrations for holy intentions!!  Help me, Lord, to offer more up!!

Stinker!

What a stinker!!!!  He is a little terror.  He throws fits, screams, yells, bites and thrashes.  But we are taking the bull by the horns and teaching him that these antics won't get him what he wants.  When he finally says, "Please!"  then we act.  Lord. Help us help him out of this phase!