Best Christmas Books, Traditions, & Fave Posts

Triage for Christmas Correspondence is my solution to sending everyone we know or have ever known a Christmas card with our names signed at the bottom.

We don't have kids, and neither of us really want photos of us circulating around the country via snail mail.  We are grateful for any cards and/or photos we receive.

Please try not to be offended if you don't fit the qualifications to be on our short list.  Once you read them, you'll be relieved you didn't make the list!

I had fun writing this series, a stroll down memory lane, and one that I could add a lot more to (and probably will, eventually).  

Our Family's Christmas Traditions

It's beginning to look a lot like... 

Niermeyer Noel Niceties 

Other Cherished Traditions

Don't worry, yours isn't the only family who doesn't have anything close to a Hallmark holiday: Christmas Merry-Making Mishaps Series #1 Caroling, #2 Decorating Cookies,  #3 Trees,  #4 Nativity Set, #5 Giving Gifts. 

Something to think about as you're moving the elf from shelf to shelf and trying to get your kids to behave better while hopped up on lots of extra sugar. Santa Claus is Coming?
That Elf Upon the Shelf, I Will Talk to Him Myself

Making the Best of Where You Are and What You Have Now:

Going With or Without at Christmas 

Fall Asleep Counting Your Blessings

Humorous Merrymaking Mishaps, Memories, and Traditions 

Christmas Plays

Christmas Play Spectacular at Little Sisters of the Poor

Rejoice and Be Glad

5 Great Nonfiction Books about the True Meaning and Significance of Christmas:

Joy to the World
Go to Joseph

A Catholic Christmas 

A Mary Christmas
Walking with Mary

How to Have an Excellent Advent: Seven Suggestions

What's the purpose of Advent? Click on the video below to check out Busted Halo's 2 minute take on this season of preparation for Christmas: 

Each of the suggestions below is a link to a blog post on the topic:

    1. Stay Awake 

2. Seek Him Who Seeks You 

3. Hold on to Hope

4. Celebrate the Season 

5. Rejoice and Be Glad 

6. Give the Gift of Quality Time 

7. Wait Patiently   

What is God calling you to this Advent that will bring you closer to Him? 

Thanksgiving Weekend 2014

Kevin has recently gotten a full-time job after being out of work for over a year, so we are both thankful and relieved about that blessing.  Since he’s back in retail, he was working on Thanksgiving Day as well as at the crack of dawn for Black Friday.  He’s got a cold, so he chose to stay home and rest up until the time he had to go into work on Thanksgiving. 

     
I told him before I left for Mass Thursday morning that people would ask where he was, possibly before greeting me.  I can understand that.  Kevin’s very friendly and can be lots of fun to chat with.  

     
I sat with some of my Christ Renews His Parish sisters and the patriarch of our adopted family at Mass.  I went over to our adopted family/close friends’ house for the holiday feast solo.  

     
I was warmly welcomed and treated as family.  I spent some time with some of my favorite people, including the three silly sisters and their two cute cousins.  I have missed seeing the girls, but I’ve had to sub whenever I can at school so we can make ends meet while Kevin gets into a groove at work, so I haven't had much energy left to visit after hours.  I finally made it over there last Friday to hang with the girls, and I got a chance to catch up with their parents as well, which was wonderful!       We had some interesting faith-based conversations about saints, particularly married women who were also mothers while we ate at the dinner table in the kitchen amidst little ones who occasionally burst in running and screaming around us.  Eventually, the twins crawled up on their mom and started grabbing food from her plate.  No surprise there.  The three silly sisters and their two cute cousins were served first, but the girls weren't nearly as enthralled by the food on their own plates.  There's something about mom sitting down to eat that tends to turn up the appetites of the little ones.  

     
I forgot to bring my camera, so I don’t have a single picture of this Thanksgiving.  Other people took a few, though, I might be able to rustle one up eventually. 

     
I really missed having Kevin there a lot!  It's been over a decade since we weren't together for all of Thanksgiving.  I’ve had him at my side for so many holidays over the years both when we were dating as well as since we’ve been married that I sometimes forget how out of place I tend to feel when he’s not there.  I did bring him some turkey, a plate of sides, and a slice of chocolate pie which he thoroughly enjoyed later on.

I didn’t see any of my biological family at all on Thanksgiving which made me feel kind of sad, but hopefully I’ll be able to get together with them on Sunday.  I have been away from Kevin and my family on Thanksgiving, but it was over ten years ago when I was studying abroad in Paris.  All of us in the study abroad program went out to dinner together.  It was fun, but I really missed my family and our normal fare.        

I had lots of memories come back of Thanksgivings over the years.  I thought back to some of the ones when we were little and we’d go to Uncle Rich and Aunt Linda’s house in Houston.  There were a couple years when my aunt and four cousins came to spend the holiday with us.  Our visits usually consisted of lots of yummy food and various card games we had all learned from Grandma.  One year was particularly memorable, because we all were having so much fun wearing the slippers Grandma had knitted us and sliding on the hardwood floors in our house in Barrington.  Click here to read about some of our other Thanksgiving festivities across the years.

True Halloween Spirit

The Sweetest Treat: A Boo Baby       

Most of the time we went to houses in our neighborhood, but one especially memorable evening that forever changed our family was unusual in more ways than one.  My grandma was in town, and arrangements were made for us to go trick-or-treating with one of our neighborhood friends and her brother.  Their dad drove us all to an apartment complex where we could get more candy and cover more ground than would be possible on the relatively small cul-de-sac we lived on off of River Road back then.  My sister and I were smitten with the prospect of collecting so much candy.  Our sort of make-shift, last minute costumes didn’t bother us much. 

     
We were used to having our parents walk with us to each house, but our friend’s brother was a little older, so his dad just drove around following us from one section of apartments to another.  He had “Monster Mash” blasting out of the car speakers.  The windows were down and the sunroof was open. 

     
Back before cellphones were mainstream, and when car phones were still exceptionally rare, we received an extra special message.  Suddenly, “The Monster Mash” stopped playing and we heard the life-changing words: “You have a new baby sister!”  Our lives were never the same.    

The Costume Kid Turned Dancing Diva

The year she turned one, my youngest sister had a really cute cow costume.  Friends of ours owned a donut shop, and my mom took a picture of her and wrote a sign by it “Got milk?” which they had up at Daylight Donuts for quite some time in the 90s.    

     
As a little girl, she loved Disney, dress-up clothes and had an unbelievably wide selection of pretty costumes to choose from since a close family friend would get discount costumes from Wolff Fording to use for the annual Musical Revue she put together at St. Mary’s School.  My sister owned a ton of princess costumes which she insisted on wearing everywhere during that particular period in her life.  Some people thought it was really cute and endearing, but as a teenager, I was mortified to have to go around with my youngest sibling dressed in some get-up.     

     
I grew up taking dance, mostly ballet, tap, and jazz, so I had a number of costumes for recitals that doubled as ones for Halloween.  I’ve even worn a couple of costumes "Miss Reesa Lynn" wore in her later dance recitals to parties. 

     
I had perhaps a little too much fun one year decorating for my sister’s Halloween/birthday sleepover party.  She had a large Lamb Chop's play along stuffed animal which I dressed in a black graduation gown and hung.  I also stuffed a pair of striped stockings with stuff to make it look like a witch had crash landed into the shower in the basement.

     
When in high school, the dancing diva told us she wanted all of us to dress up as Disney characters.  Our middle sister asked if she was kidding.  Obviously not, since she’d gotten a Tinkerbell costume to wear that year.  During the day, Kevin had a costume contest at Circuit City.  We dressed up as Men in Black, both in blacks suits, white collared shirts, black ties, and sunglasses.  Kevin went so far as to paint a water gun we had to make it look a bit more like the weapons they use in the movie.  Then that evening, I turned into Mulan for my sister’s Disney themed birthday party. 

  

This is our absolute favorite Halloween bit from Seinfeld’s “I’m Telling You for the Last Time:” Jerry Seinfeld on Halloween (Stand-up in New York).

"Trick or Trunk?!"    

I’ve heard of the popular custom of having kids don their costumes to go to a church parking lot and “trick-or-treat” from one car trunk to the next, but I am a bit concerned by the sign outside of one church that I saw advertising a Halloween “Trick or Trunk.”  I’m not sure quite what this entails, but I had visions of extreme trick-or-treating scenarios and possible outcomes.  It sounds like something that a gang might come up with—either that or a group of parents of wayward adolescents that have had enough and are ready to take drastic measures.  Of course, this suggestion also seems very much like one father of three silly sisters would come up with as an advisable alternative to dressing up your kids in costumes and walking them around the neighborhood ringing doorbells and demanding candy from strangers.    

Back in the Day

For a while, because my birthday is near Halloween, we’d have costume parades or parties for my celebration.  There are pictures of a morning costume parade in our neighborhood and donuts that marked one of my under five birthday celebrations. When we were growing up, we didn’t use those little plastic pumpkin buckets for our candy.  We got pretty hardcore after a while and used pillowcases, since those were easy to carry, and you can fit a whole lot of candy in them.  We’d walk as far as we could talk our parents into going. 

     
Our ritual at home was the same every year.  We’d sit down on the living room floor and dump all of our candy out in a pile, so our parents could check it for anything suspicious (or particularly delicious).  Our main concern was counting how many pieces we had, in hopes that we’d somehow gotten more loot than the other person.  Then it was time to trade for the candy we liked most with the yucky stuff that we’d resort to only once we’d eaten all of the name brand candy.

Wild Thing, You Make My Heart Sing

One of “my two little guys” who is now in his double digits is going to Disney World with his family for Halloween.  That has got to be such a cool place to be when half the people in there are already in costumes.  I’m looking forward to seeing the photos. 

     
I couldn’t resist dressing one of the boys up in the shark costume he had for Halloween and taking him to visit Kevin at West Marine, the retail store where he was working at the time.  I brought goldfish crackers for the boys to eat, and let them play around the dinghies and small personal watercraft on display in front of the store to get some really cute photos. 

A Celebration's In Order

Today we’re looking forward to celebrating Theresa’s birthday as well as our brother-in-law Jordan’s as a family.  I can't imagine what this life or our family would be like without my youngest sister Theresa in it. She has brought so much joy, smiles, laughter, love, and hope into our family. May the Lord continue to bless you, love you, and keep you ever close to Him as you use the many gifts He's given you to inspire others. We love you dearly! Looking forward to celebrating this evening.

    
My mom’s famous homemade chicken fingers, mashed potatoes, and apple pie are going to be involved.  We’re also hoping to see the cutest mailman on the planet.  Our nephew’s dream is coming true: he gets to be a mailman for the day.

    
Happy Halloween!  Lord of all souls, Father of all creation, thank You for the gift of loved ones, for the joy of new life, and the hope of eternal life You have given us.  All you holy men and women, pray for us!

Harvests and Special Celebrations

   This school year's Harvest Fest was my favorite one yet, because Kevin and I got to share it with five of our favorite people.  Two of our best friends brought their daughters to the Harvest Fest we had at school last Saturday.
   Their girls (the twins are our Goddaughters) I have referred to elsewhere as "the three silly sisters" are the ones I was nannying for over the past few years.  I was so excited that they got to come and enjoy the fun.  Of course, I love being around children, in general, but these girls will always have an extra special place in my heart.
   Who wouldn't like getting the following greetings from three adorable little ones?  "I've missed you sooo much!" and another one: "I love you!" and the third just runs over and gives me a big hug.
    Kevin, their mom, and I each ended up chasing one of the girls around the playground, field, and festivities.  Their dad came by after work to join us for face-painting and popsicle eating/smearing fun.  There were slides, pumpkins, balloons, snacks, apple cider, and even an alleged Rainbow Dash spotting.

    Our outing last weekend reminded me of another event several years ago in the spring that was way more fun one year than any other: The Walk for Life.  I was taking care of one of "my two little guys" so his parents good get a much-needed overnight away, and that happened to be the Saturday of The Pregnancy Resource Center's Walk for Life which my family and I have taken part in for years.  I packed him up in his stroller, and off we went.  He had a ball.  My parents, Kevin, and I did, too.

   We've been part of the village helping to raise, love, nurture, and care for a number of children over the years.  The present I have most hoped for just about since our nephew's birth has been to have two of our best friends and their daughters come to meet my sister, brother-in-law, and our nephew.  We will hopefully have the joy of such a gathering as part of a pretty picnic and playtime at the park excursion Sunday afternoon.
     Lord, thank You for the blessing of family and friends with whom we can celebrate the gifts of life, love, laughter, joy, and hope.  To read about other fond memories involving Harvesting God's Abundance, click here.

Pentecost Weekend Festivities

Pentecost Weekend was very enjoyable.  We spent it with loved ones, many faith-filled people who are passionate about serving the Lord and others.  Saturday I had some good prayer, reading, study, and writing time.  In the evening, Kevin and I had dinner with my mom at a delicious Italian place on the Southside called Angelo’s.  Their stromboli is scrumptious!

From there we headed over to Church of the Epiphany, where Kevin and I were married on September 4, 2004.  Two of our friends from Cursillo were doing a concert as part of their Give Me Jesus tour.  The band S2K they’re in plays for Kairos retreat weekends.  I knew it would be a blast, because our two friends are characters on their own, but are even more hilarious together.  The concert was awesome, and the banter among the guys entertaining, as always! We got to sing along to the praise and worship music they performed, and heard their take a on a few classics that fit in with the theme of Kairos. 

   
In between sets, one of the men in the band would talk about how, when, and why they became involved in prison ministry.  Each of them has gone to one or more Virginia prisons to put on Kairos retreats for the inmates.  It was really awesome to hear the stories of how these men from a variety of faith denominations and backgrounds came together to serve men, women, and juveniles who are incarcerated. 

     
One of the most moving testimonies was from a gentleman who had been an inmate on the very first Kairos retreat that ever took place in our area back in 2002.  When released from prison, he began studying to become a minister.  Now he’s one of the chaplains who serves Kairos.  Talk about transformation and metanoia! There you have it!

   
Sunday morning Kevin and I went to 11:15 Mass at our church because our friend was doing the second reading in Hindi as part of the celebration for Pentecost.  It was neat to hear the reading in an unfamiliar language, and the music was beautiful.  Afterwards, we headed up the hill for the church picnic that the Knights of Columbus had organized and were preparing for.  I ended up sitting with a few friends from Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP), a couple of whom are now also Cursillistas, and we had a good time.  Good friends, good food, and good fun!

     
Then I got to catch up with a dear friend I met through CRHP who has been at pharmacy school in Chicago for the past couple years.  We were assigned to be roommates for the overnight portion of the CRHP retreat, and we stayed up half the night talking and have been good friends ever since.  We weren’t sitting at the same table when we made our retreat, so we wouldn’t have gotten to know each other as well had we not been assigned to the same room.  Another God incident indeed! 

   
Lord, thank you for surrounding us with so many people of faith to inspire us and pray for and with us.  We are grateful to have friends who are family steeped in the love of Christ and the dedication to serve His people.  Amen.

Something Other than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness and Accidentally Found It

Prepare to be inspired by Something Other than God.  Oh, wait, Jennifer Fulwiler already tried that approach, and it didn’t go at all the way she planned.  The high-powered job, racy sports car, fancy house, decadent parties, and expensive vacations she thought were essential to be content in life weren’t enough.    

    
Fulwiler relentlessly pursued wealth and the finer things.  She met and married someone as ambitious and single-minded as she was when it came to work and worldly measures of success.  They were on the way up the corporate ladder to the penthouse suite when the arrival of a small, helpless human being changed everything.  It was more than sleep deprivation and the weight of being responsible for the safety and well-being of a newborn that made her question all aspects of her life up to that point.  Though she fought against such introspection, she was most distraught over losing her grasp of atheism.

    
Raised as an atheist who made fun of the many Christians around her trying to talk her into accepting Christ as her personal Savior, she was horrified to find herself being drawn to answers that were beyond her understanding and comfort level—ones certainly above her pay-grade.  She became obsessed with reading about Christianity, the Bible, researching as much as she could, and questioning everything along the way. 

    
As you can imagine, there are some very amusing scenarios that factor into Fulwiler’s full-blown existential crisis.  Conversion Diary, the blog she began so she could ask the tough questions about Christianity, morality, ethics, and get responses from people who were willing to answer her questions and concerns on both an intellectual level as well as a spiritual one remains tremendously popular.  What started as a hobby as she was seeking Truth, opened her up to the Catholic faith and a vocation of sharing her journey with others through her humorous writing, harrowing, often humbling tales of motherhood, and her struggle against her tendencies to be a mostly inert introvert.

    
There are a number of people I’ve thought of whom I’d love to have read Something Other than God.  Fulwiler writes in a compelling way that brings to light the many questions she grappled with and the answers she came to over time.  This memoir is an account of how one woman set out to achieve worldly success and how, through the grace of God, she discovered a greater longing, a deeper void, which nothing and no one other than God can fill.  Fulwiler slaved over this memoir while raising several young children, dodging dubious scorpions, inadvertently providing exercise entertainment for her neighbors, and attempting creative ways to corral her children enough to maintain her sanity (most of the time), so the least you can do is buy it, read it, and recommend it to all your friends—atheist or otherwise. 

     
For more information about this book or to order your copy, click here.  To read more about Jennifer Fulwiler's current life events, funny happenings, and daily struggles, check out her blog Conversion Diary.  I received a free copy of this book from Aquinas and More in exchange for an honest review.

A Subtle Grace by Ellen Gable

A Subtle Grace is the latest masterpiece by bestselling author/editor Ellen Gable.  It is the sequel to the award-winning novel In Name Only.  I’ve really been looking forward to this sequel because I was so thoroughly impressed by the first book, which vividly depicts the lives of the O’Donovan family in the late eighteen hundreds.  I love when I get so drawn into a book that I can picture myself in the scenes and have a real sense of the thoughts and emotions surging through the characters.  She blends dialogue and descriptive prose to create full-bodied personalities.  It is easy to identify and relate to each person’s unique charms, quirks, and flaws. 

  
There are scenes in certain books, plays, and movies that stick with us because of how disturbing or upsetting they are.  Maybe it’s an image from one of the ghost stories popular at sleepovers or an urban legend that hits a little too close to home.  We can all think back to a particular scenario we’ve envisioned and relive the emotions as if it was happening to us in the present.  Adrenalin starts pumping.  Our heart beats faster.  Our palms sweat.  Our muscles tense.  Every sound is amplified and ominous.  We are sure of our safety, nevermore. 

  
In each of these novels, there are a number of scenes I found myself reacting to on a visceral level because of how powerfully crafted and carefully portrayed they are.  The suspense made me not want to put the books down even when the turn of events caused me to cringe.  Gable manages to treat a number of the scenarios I would definitely include in my top five biggest fears of all time in ways that compel me to continue onward through the horror and devastation to discover what’s waiting on the other side.  I can’t exactly say that I enjoy feeling awful, but to me it’s a mark of good storytelling if you can get me to empathize with the characters so deeply that a real sense of sorrow rises within me when they are suffering and a genuine joy comes over me when they have triumphed over it.

  
This is one of my favorite contemporary works of Catholic fiction.  (For purposes of classification, I'm defining contemporary as works written between the 1980 and today) .  The storytelling is masterful, the characters fascinating, and the writing is of high literary quality.  People are imperfect—past, present, and future—but each is given the opportunity to grow, change, learn, and be redeemed.  In this story it’s shown how the greatest mistake of our lives can be turned into one of the most amazing blessings and even be a source of hope for others.  Life’s messy.  People are complex.  We’ve all got some skeletons in our closets, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t also fit some trophies and triumphs in there as well. 

A Subtle Grace has all of the elements that good Catholic fiction should.  For more information about In Name Only or A Subtle Grace, click here.  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.            

You Are Not Alone & A Partial Potter Update

Dear Family and friends,

     We want to be there for you always.  We want you to feel comfortable calling us for whatever you need   whenever you need it, especially during the most difficult times! For those of you who we have been there for at least some of the time, please know that you are not partially responsible or at all responsible for the times when Kevin and I are feeling worn out and/or rundown.  Even if we have not been as good about calling, visiting, or checking in with you lately as we could be, please rest assured that you our on our minds, in our thoughts, and certainly in our prayers.

     Our struggle has a lot more to do with being upset for the times we don't feel we have much to offer anyone, even each other and those closest to us.  We struggle with feeling like we’re not enough, not who anyone wants or needs us to be, not living up to what anyone would like or expects of us.  It’s painful when some of the ways we’d like to be able to reach out and help others, we no longer are in a position, physically, emotionally, spiritually, or financially that we can offer the assistance we’d like to offer and in many cases have given in the past. 

Still Searching

     Kevin’s been looking for work ever since he lost his job on Labor Day, and though he’s had some good leads and applied to a number of places, nothing’s come together, yet.  He’s networked with some great people and been given some prospects to check out.  He’s kept an open mind, kept praying, and kept pounding the pavement.  Last week, he received the letter saying that he’d been sent his last unemployment check.  He was hit with a wave of frustration, anger, and anxiety that he hasn’t found a new job, yet.    

     Regardless of what other things are going on, I’ve needed to take pretty much every subbing job I’ve been offered due to our financial situation.  Don't get me wrong; I love working at school with different age groups of children and a number of great teachers teachers.  I’ve learned a great deal and have come to appreciate the Montessori method as an ideal way of educating children.  However, as anyone who has served as a substitute knows, it can be more exhausting than usual when you don’t yet know the routine or all of the kids and specifics of the role played by the person for whom you’re filling that day.  There’s so much to try and remember and learning on-the-go can be a challenge in an environment where there are already a significant number of important Department of Social Services rules, regulations, and procedures to keep in mind. 

Running on Empty

     Over the past couple months, I’ve most often felt like I’ve been running on empty.  We’ve had so much going on that it’s been hard to catch my breath.  I’m behind on a number of things as is really obvious if you look around our apartment or consult any one of my “To Do Lists.”  I can’t seem to relax much, because I always feel like there’s something else I should be doing.  Yes, I know that I just finished reading Crash the Chatterbox twice in a row, but it’s so flipping difficult to put it into practice day in and day out. 

     Anywhere I look, I see and think about something I should be doing for our marriage, our family, friends, to improve our financial situation, to straighten up our place, to minister to others, and it just makes me more discouraged when I get so caught up in all that I could be doing and some of what I should be doing that I haven’t yet. 

Enjoy the Ride

     A Cursillo friend of ours who is single and lives alone was recovering from knee surgery and then had shoulder surgery at the beginning of April and needed help with rides to and from her physical therapy appointments, and such.  I think of her regularly and get upset with myself for not having checked up on her recently or at the very least sent her a card.  Kevin and I were blessed to be in position that we could help. 

     I showed up to give our friend a ride and couldn’t pull it together soon enough before I got to her place that she could tell I’d been crying.  There are few things that make me feel as ridiculous and pitiful as feeling the least bit sad or depressed when I’m well aware that others are suffering way worse than I am.       

     Did my friend get in the car and ask me what could I possibly have to cry about since I didn’t recently have to have a series of IV infusions just so I could finally have the knee surgery, followed by shoulder surgery after a car accident a year before that wasn’t even my fault?  No.  Did she tell me that I should be wildly rejoicing because I’m able to move around without difficulty, have a husband who loves me, don’t live alone, have family nearby, and friends who care about me?  No.  She got in the car and was genuinely concerned about what had happened that made me feel so upset that I am not enough in any area of my life and that I can’t seem to do anything right.  (Unfortunately, these are beliefs about myself I have struggled with most of my life that sometimes drag me down further than other times.  I’m better at fighting them sometimes than others).

     I am amazed by this woman’s fighting spirit and can do attitude.  She is persistent and insistent that she get through these surgeries and get back to an active lifestyle.  She’s assured those of us who used to gather weekly for prayer group that come summer, she’ll be running circles around all of us again.       

An Influx of Family Visits

     The week leading up to the Women’s Cursillo Weekend was even busier than I’d expected it to be and more tiring.  Holy Week is usually a full time for us anyway, but we had even more packed in this time.  On Good Friday, Kevin’s sister and brother-in-law stopped in while driving down to meet their newest granddaughter, so we spent some time with them before heading to church for the Veneration of the Cross.  Saturday, we met them in the morning, then we headed over to my sister’s house to see my uncle, aunt, two cousins, and their two friends, who were in town for lunch and an afternoon visit at my sister’s house before they drove back home to upstate New York.  That evening, Kevin and I attended the Easter Vigil at St. Michael’s, which was quite beautiful, as always. 

A Window of Opportunity

     I spent a good chunk of time that week putting together blog posts, journal entries, and writing a very long letter to Michele Morris, so I could send her a package of things during the two weeks after Easter when she can receive, read, and respond to mail to let her know what’s going on in our area with Cursillo, mutual family and friends, etc.  In the letter I sent her at Christmastime, I’d let her know that I would be serving on team for Cursillo on the weekend of Divine Mercy Sunday, so I knew she would be praying for everyone participating on the weekend, especially during that time. 

A Loved One Lost

     The Wednesday before Cursillo began, Kevin and I had a funeral to attend that morning at Epiphany on the Southside.  Kay Marie Geiger, who had been really sick with cancer for a number of months, went to be with the Lord, so we gathered with her family, many friends, and Cursillistas to celebrate her life and legacy.  (Life has been so crazy, busy, and hectic since then that I have yet to finish writing my tribute to this wonderful woman who has been such a loving, compassionate presence in our lives). 

Now is the Time: ACTION

     The evening of April 23, 2014, we spent several hours at Shalom House unloading cars, moving lots of furniture and beginning to get things set-up for the Women’s Cursillo Weekend that took place April 24-27. 
Thursday, another team member and I arrived back at Shalom House in the early afternoon to continue preparations.  There was so much running around and taking care of things that I managed to go the entire weekend without having a really in-depth, intimate conversation with anyone at all.  I have a hard time keeping up with all the running if I don’t connect with anyone on a deeper level than discussing the weather, meals, logistics, and other surface stuff. 

     Everyone on our team was wonderful, pitching in wherever needed, regardless of their assigned roles, but we were down an “angel,” those responsible for making sure everything and everyone is where they need to be and where it needs to be at or by the time specified.  One of our angels had to have a double mastectomy a few weeks before the Cursillo, and she blessed us by coming for a few hours when she was up to it and to give her talk, but her work and offerings during the weekend itself, understandably, needed to be predominantly prayers since she was still recovering from surgery.  I should have visited her or sent her a few cards by now, but again, I haven’t.  She’s certainly been in my thoughts and prayers, though. 

Sharing Straight from the Heart

     Two of the talks given on Divine Mercy Sunday as part of the Cursillo weekend I knew would hit me really hard.  One talk was given by a woman who bravely shared the story of how she and her family have felt God’s presence and love in the months since last September when their youngest son committed suicide.  The second talk was given by the woman who has also found strength and hope in the Cursillo community when she was diagnosed for a second time with breast cancer and this time had a double mastectomy and will also need chemo and radiation.  I made it through each of these talks by sitting in the way back of the room, letting the tears stream down my face, then leaving the minute they were finished to go back and have some quiet time to myself in our room.  By Sunday evening, I was physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted and ready to collapse.

While You Were Gone

     Within the next couple days, we learned of troubling news about some of our close friends.  One friend, whom I had invited to come on the weekend and who discerned that this wasn’t the right time for her to go, informed us that the previous Thursday she’d found out that her ex-husband had been found dead in his apartment.  He had not been in good health, nor had he taken very good care of himself, but it was still unexpected and, of course, hard on the family.  Kevin and I devoted an evening to help clean out the ex-husband’s apartment, which we needed a mask and gloves just to enter.  There were a number of things that reminded me of my dad and his declining health and struggles at the end of his life, so that wasn’t easy to manage.  We attended the funeral Mass held at church which was quite beautiful, but again reminded me of losing my dad at a young age.   

Not much rest for the weary

     The Monday after the weekend, I slept and rested most of the day, then met several team members and their spouses back up at Shalom House to clean up, move furniture back, organize and put supplies away, and such. 

     We also found out that a good friend of ours had been hospitalized for the second time in one week.  That Tuesday, Kevin and I were on our way to Mass at St. Benedict’s.  Actually we were in the parking lot, when I happened to check my phone before going into 5:30 Mass.  I’d already turned the ringer off, but something nudged me to look at my phone again before heading in.  Our friend whose husband had been hospitalized called asking if we would be so kind as to pick up dinner and bring it over to her at the hospital.  We left to go be there for our friends while they were facing a difficult time. 

We’ve got your back

     As we've said to the dear friends of ours who are fighting some tough stuff, including one of them having recently been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, it's nice to be able to do some practical things to let you both know we love you.  Sometimes, it's hard to know how to help or what to do, so having specific things to take care of makes it easier.  I need or ride or a meal or for you to get this from the store for me are tangible things we can do to offer assistance.  We are saddened by the burdens that some of our family and friends are carrying, but we are also very hopeful for each one of you in the midst of these crises. 

Prayers and Presence

     Two of our friends each lost a parent in the past couple months.  We weren’t able to attend either of those funerals.  Another couple we know through Cursillo lost their 20 year old son who committed suicide a couple weeks ago.  When we arrived at the Ultreya that Friday evening that was at their parish, they were outside to receive an outpouring of love, hugs, and condolences.   I’ve prayed for all of these people, their loved ones lost, and the families in mourning.  I’ve given each of our friends hugs when I’ve seen them in person and expressed my sorrow over their losses, but I have yet to send any of them sympathy cards or letters.

More than meets the eye   

     There are many crosses Kevin and I are carrying which only a handful of people know about at all.  Only a select few people know the weight and depth of these burdens and what we’ve gone through to keep moving forward despite them.   It's been a struggle for us to trust in God in these areas when it seems like there's no change or improvement, not just recently, but over a period of many months, even years.

     Seeing the hope and courage of others in the face of major challenges and drawbacks inspires both of us.  We are grateful that family and friends share their joys and sorrows with us.  That's how it's supposed to be.

A Letter to Graduates

Dear Graduate,

    
Congratulations!  You did it!  Who knew that you’d one day make it so far, overcome so many obstacles, embrace so many new opportunities, and develop such wonderful friendships?  God did.  He’s known all along the passions in your heart and how you would and will continue to inspire others.   

   
My wish, hope, and prayers for you are that throughout your life you will grow in your awareness of God’s unconditional love, endless mercy, and unbounded joy so that you can continue being a source of living hope to all who come into contact with you.

   
There are some important lessons to remember as you move to the next step in your journey.  People and relationships are far more important than money, worldly success, awards, or prestige.  You are God’s Beloved Child.  I can almost hear some of you asking: "Who me?!"  To which I'd respond with a resounding, "Yes, you!"  

 
God has, does, and will always love you more than anyone else has, does, or can—even your parents, grandparents, family members, closest friends, or your spouse.  Almighty God is the only who one can and will always be with you, and, despite occasional thoughts and feelings to the contrary, He will never abandon or forsake you. 

   
I found it to be so easy to get caught up in my own hopes and dreams or to make my decisions and assess my worth based on the evaluations I receive from others.  Above all, though, we are to seek the Will of the Lord in all areas of our lives and accept the abundance of blessings He provides for us to live that out.  It is the only plan which is best for everyone involved in time and eternity.  We are encouraged and created to move, grow, and have our being in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Any good gifts we have come from Him. Any good we can do for others flows from Him through us.  Only in uniting yourself with the Source of All Love and life will you be a most effective vessel and conduit of love, compassion, generosity, and kindness. 

   
May you keep prayer a source of hope and healing in mind and heart as you seek and guide others in search of goodness, beauty, and Truth. 

     
It can be a little nerve-racking at times to move from one stage of life to the next, especially when it means saying goodbye to loved ones, a particular way of life, a gathering place for friends, but you’re well-equipped to go out into the world and continue making a difference doing what comes naturally to you. 

   
Be gentle with yourself during times of transition. 

   
Who you are is your gift to others and God’s gift to the world. Embrace that truth and live your life to the fullest.  God danced the day you were born and has been elated by you ever since.  Remember that you are loved and lovable because of who you are and whose you are—not because of what you do.  Your value has already been established as a child of God.  No other accolades, honors, or awards are needed to establish your worth.  It just is.

   
The greatest gifts bestowed upon us are those most precious in time and eternity: a love for family and friends, a true compassion for others, a concern for those less fortunate, an active prayer life, ongoing study and faith formation, being part of Christian community, performing actions that provide for the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs of others, and a yearning to do God’s will that are fueled by a desire to spend all of eternity with the angels, saints, and the loved ones who have gone before us to Heaven knowing that Christ's life, death, and resurrection have bought us eternal salvation.

   
“All things work for good for those who love God…”  The best in your life is yet to come.  Trust me—the wildest adventures, the most longed for opportunities, the most ecstatic joys, the most unusual challenges, the deepest love, the most profound mercy, and the best blessings beyond all of your hopes and dreams are yet to come for you!  

    

God bless and love from your sister in Christ, Trisha

In Case You Were Wondering Where I've Been

     As part of the ongoing discernment I know to be life-long necessity for all who try to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit,  I have been prayerfully listening and making some changes I have felt urged to undergo in how I spend my time, energy, etc.  It has been a tremendous gift and encouragement that Kevin has decided going to daily Mass several times during the week would be his Lenten devotion, because there are few things that remind me of God's love and ability to change hearts and minds than sitting and holding hands with my dear husband at Mass.  

     I've been subbing at school pretty often, still reading a lot (mostly in English but also some French), and Kevin's been doing some odd jobs here and there while still looking for a full-time job with benefits.  We're both still praying and waiting for whatever will be the next big thing we undertake, but right now we're content to be serving on really wonderful Cursillo teams and growing closer to the Lord and each other.   

     I realized in hopping from one blog to the next to try and keep up with what’s going on in the world and the blogosphere, attempting to participate in the right link-ups and get the most visitors to my blog with frequent, timely posts was making my prayer time, faith formation, closest relationships, and my vocation to write (particularly: spiritual reflections, personal letters, and prayers) suffer.  

     This is why I have not been participating in 7 Quick Takes Friday recently or posting quite as often as I have at other times.  I have been getting back to a more regular chunk of time for daily prayer, journaling, writing reflections, letters, and things more often, and it's been good to process things with pen and paper and decide what I will share, if anything, on my blog.  Writing because I love to write and am inspired is something I don't want to lose and can too often get away from when I have too many of the how to have a wildly popular blog or what you should be writing about or commenting on things going through my head.  

     It's more important to me to have an active prayer life, loving relationships in person, and time to listen and reflect on what God is asking of me, than it is to see how much blog traffic I can get.  I get caught up in the shoulds and coulds ideas, and suddenly, I find myself stressed out, fragmented, unsettled without enough prayer time, disconnected from loved ones.  

     Plus, I figure that if I am dedicated to prayer and open to what the Lord wants of me, then what I write will reach the people that would find it helpful to read and ponder whenever and if ever they happen upon my blog.     

     I stepped back to look at how I have been spending my time by asking and praying about the following: 

1. What goals or motivation have influenced my choices the most? 

2. Does the Lord come first and my relationship with my husband second before everyone and everything else? 

3. What do I need to do differently so that my time, actions, energy, and on what I spend money reflect that God is first and foremost in my life and that our marriage comes before all else?

     I know it’s not a coincidence that I’ve been prompted to ask myself these questions when I am more often around people for whom prayer, faith formation, and acts of service are a way of life.  Certainly, when surrounded by those who do their best to put Christ first, I am more inclined and challenged to do the same thing.  For those reasons, I am incredibly grateful for the local Cursillo community as well as the Christ Renews His Parish contingency from our parish. 

     Earlier this week I had lunch with my mom, and we had an interesting discussion about how the decisions we make—both big and small, public or private—affect other people, especially those closest to us, whether we want them to or not.  I was mentioning how apparent it has been to me that I want and need to be around Christian community who make prayer, ongoing discernment, and faith formation a priority in their lives.  Their example inspires, encourages, and motivates me.

     The other side of that is also true: the time I spend with the Lord (or don’t) affects every single one of my interactions with other people—not just in terms of their faith and prayer lives, but in every aspect of our lives. 

     The best thing I can do is God’s Will both for me and for everyone else.  To be conformed to God’s Will, I have to spend time in prayer, take part in the Sacraments, and be aware and respectful of His Presence in each person and living thing. 

     In order to do this, I need to be aware of my own proclivities, downfalls, and sinful inclinations, so that I draw closer to Christ.  Once I step into the light of Jesus, He then creates in me a new, more loving, gentle, compassionate, tender, and merciful heart.  With a renewed heart and spirit, I am able to be a better, bigger vessel for the Holy Spirit to work in and through. 

     The more I am open to the Lord and fully present to the people He’s put in my life, especially those physically in my presence, the more God’s love will shine in, through, and around me. 

     Lord, so often I look around and see what others are doing and determine in my own mind the value of what they’re doing and how they’re doing it, but I’m much more hesitant to observe and be mindful of my own thoughts and actions.  If I spend too much time looking inward, I easily become discouraged, depressed, doubtful, sorrowful, and afraid.  If I remain focused on You, then love, great mercy, living hope, and compassion will be closer to the surface. 

     God can and wants to work in and through me to bring others closer to Him.  Am I going to rejoice in that and cooperate or resist and refuse to go along? 

     Truthfully, I’ll likely do some of each.  Fortunately, He can bring about good even from my unwillingness and stubbornness in responding to His grace.    

Blessed Occasions & Causes for Celebration

     Kevin and I both felt the Holy Spirit present in a big way throughout our trip to St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland.  We went up there with Carl and Cathy for the institution of their son (and a number of his brother seminarians) to the ministry of acolyte.  

A number of family, friends, some priests we recognized, and others we would meet for the first time, gathered together to celebrate Mass on Monday, March 10, 2014, at 4:30pm.  It was really uplifting to see the Vicar for Vocations from the Diocese of Richmond, Fr. Michael Boehling, among those who had traveled several hours to offer his support and prayers. 

     We experienced a great deal of joy being present for such a blessed occasion.  Kevin was positively beaming through the entire event.  Bishop Joseph C. Bambera from the Diocese of Scranton presided at the Mass.  His homily was beautiful and thought-provoking.  The ceremonies of institution to Lector, for those in their first year of seminary, and Acolyte, for those in their second year, were also quite moving. 

  There is something incredibly powerful about having so many priests in one place for any reason, but what always gets me the most is when they are praying the Eucharistic prayers in unison, some standing on the altar with the bishop, and others from their place in the first section of pews on either side of the altar. 

     The seminarian choir gathered near the piano after Communion to sing a reflection.  I had trouble recalling the last time I’d heard such a strong all-male group raising their hearts and voices to the Lord, thereby, praying twice.       

     I’m absolutely convinced that if more Catholics from all walks of life came to such events, we would have an increase in vocations to marriage, the priesthood, and religious life as well as a whole lot more people regularly praying and encouraging the young men and women who are actively discerning and following the Lord’s call for their lives. 

A Message to John and his brother seminarians: You have been given another level of grace with these new responsibilities.  And with responsibility in a Catholic and priestly sense comes a need for greater dedication to the Lord, more humility, and a deeper level of interior and exterior submission to Christ.  You are up to these challenges.  Your professors, classmates, family, and friends know this.  Most importantly Christ knows this.  Christ is counting on you, and He expects you to be counting on Him.  Anything that is true, holy, and good is possible if you will set aside your ideas and ways in order to submit all that you were, are, and will be to the Lord to use however He determines is best in time and eternity.