What is Our Government For?

“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”

–James Madison

Lately, I have witnessed a lot of animosity about the pro-life community. The recent reversal of former President George W. Bush's legislation on embryonic stem cell research by President Obama sent shock waves through the pro-life community.

Personally, I am against embryonic stem cell research. I did not appreciate that President Obama, in his speech on the matter, spoke of the pro-life advocates as "politicizing religion" and dismissing their--my--very relevant opinions about scientific experimentation on human beings. I resent that my tax dollars are being used to fund what I view as Dr. Mengela-esque murder.

That said, I cannot oppose President Obama's move to overturn the legislation. In order to pass it through in the first place, President Bush overstepped his office, bypassed the appropriate channels of legislation, and took power into his hands that was not his to take. To simply repeal this misuse of government would have been appropriate. Even those with noble causes cannot be permitted to strong-arm our nation's government, which would undermine not only the government but the cause in question.

And, so I stop and think: What exactly is our government FOR? I do not believe our government should require pharmacists to supply oral contraception if it is against their morals. No more do I believe that our goverment has the right to ban birth control. When did it all become so black-and-white? When did we lose the vision of a pharmacist and a patient who could simply conduct a transaction between themselves without government intervention? When did we stop believing in the sovereignty of the citizen?

In America, our government was formed in order to protect our rights to self-government. Yet, this is not the America I have known in my lifetime. I am not a Republican. I sympathize very much with many policies that Democrats support: protection of the environment, regulation of business practices, aid and assitance to the poor. But, on principle, I must ask myself: Is it the government's job to do these things? Perhaps it would be better if the poor were helped by their neighbors--real faces, real relationships--rather than a government agency which must waste valuable funds in order to staff its offices and file a lot of paperwork? Would it not be better if we, as citizen, took a greater roll in demanding regulation of business practices through boycott and the power of our consumer demand, rather than trusting that our government will take care of it? Would we not be more discerning in our business transactions?

It seems to me that, today, we often think that the average citizen (Joe Six-Pack, if you will :-P) is neither intelligent nor discerning enough to do the right thing. Yet, why do we think this way today, when our founding fathers died for Joe Six-Pack's right to the dignity of self-governance and real voice? Has our nation actually gotten "dumber" over the past 200 years? Have we actually declined morally so much that we cannot live our own lives without legislation that determines even what we do in our own homes? Can we not be trusted to govern our own destinies? Are we really so far gone?

If so, what made us this way? How do we reform? Something tells me, it won't be by passing more laws; we have enough of those already. How do we turn the tide?

Seriously, I'm asking. Any suggestions?

Cheesy Beef-and-Corn Bread Cobbler

"Hearth and Home" by Kimberly Kenney

I invented this dish over the weekend. Since our family is small, this recipe made tons of extras; I froze about 9 meals' worth for when our baby boy is born, and we still had plenty for dinner for two nights and for my husband to take some to work for lunch. Usually Brian isn't a huge fan of leftovers, but when I told him we'd be eating this for awhile, his eyes lit up! He told me it deserved posting, so here it is:

Cheesy Beef-and-Corn Bread Cobbler

1. Saute 3 large chopped onions and 8 minced garlic cloves in 4 T olive oil in large pot or dutch oven
2. Add 4-5 lbs. ground beef & brown; season with 4 t. salt, 4 T chili powder
3. Add 1 c. ketchup, 3 cans diced tomatoes in juice; simmer 10 minutes
4. Meanwhile, mix 4 pkgs Jiffy mix, 1 1/3 c. milk, 3 eggs, and 2 c. grated cheddar
5. Transfer beef mixture to 4 pie plates with slotted spoon; top with cornbread mixture; sprinkle each dish with 2T more cheese
6. Bake at 400F for 15-25 minutes, until tester in cornbread comes clean.

For our family, this makes about 20 servings, hence the pie plates: You can freeze the cooked dish and reheat when you want it again, but it's no extra work to make it all at once. If you have a bigger family, dispense with the pie plates, and just bake it in a nice, big casserole dish or two. It makes wonderful leftovers and is great for taking in a tupperware to work, for all of you working folk who hate sandwiches, like my husband does :-)

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Sorry I don't have a picture. I'll try to get one uploaded the next time we have it for dinner.

Feast of St. Zita: April 27th

In an age and culture that tries to minimize work, shirks duty, and shuns hardship, St. Zita is a beacon of light. Born into a very poor family in a small town in Italy in the year 1218, Zita was raised by her widowed mother to love God with all her heart. At the age of 12, selfless, modest Zita was sold as a serving girl into a wealthy family in Lucca. There, she embraced her work with a passion, uniting any hardship or suffering to the great Suffering of Christ, her Savior, and offering small, daily sacrifices in reparation for sin and as living prayers to God.

In addition to completing all her work diligently, Zita rose very early each morning to spend time in prayer and to attend daily Mass. Her piety was ridiculed; her master and mistress in particular disdained her for it. Her modesty was mocked by her fellow servants who were already jealous of her work ethic and thought her to be secretly proud of her goodness. Zita endured all this--plus extra work and frequent beatings from her masters--without complaint and with a cheerful heart, as she continued to live and work as if for God alone and not for the cruel masters she served. With perseverance and a spirit that was ever patient, sweet, and unassuming, Zita won over all those who knew her. Her fellow servants came to love her dearly, and her master and mistress valued her above all their other household staff, eventually making her their housekeeper. Incidentally, it was this favor that Zita came to fear more than the adversity she had previously faced, for she feared it would corrupt her spirit. But, God preserved her pure humility, and Zita found that she thrived in the newly loving atmosphere of her home.

St. Zita was also unfailingly generous. Even as housekeeper, she considered her fellow servants her superiors and adopted all the most undesirable tasks for herself. She fasted the whole year round, often on bread and water, and gave every material possession she earned or was gifted to the poor. As she was such an exemplary housekeeper, her master eventually gave her permission to give liberally from his own stores to the poor, and was rewarded by seeing his household thrive and his goods seem to multiply, even as they were distributed. Her master knew that God was blessing his household through this humble saint.

St. Zita had a rich prayer life. Often when in prayer or at Mass, she would dissolve in sweet tears of ecstasy as she basked in the love of her Lord. At the age of 60, she became quite ill; she predicted that her death was imminent, received her last sacraments, and died at peace. In 1580, more than 300 years after her death, St. Zita's body was found to be incorruptible, meaning that even without preservation, it had not decayed. It is enshrined even today in the church of St. Frigidian in Lucca, the very church where St. Zita attended Mass nearly every day of her righteous life. More than 150 miracles have been documented to have been wrought through her intercession. She was officially cannonized in 1696 by Pope Leo X and Pope Innocent XII.

St. Zita is the patron of domestic servants, homemakers, people ridiculed for their piety, rape victims, and single laywomen. She is a reminder to us all that a life lived simply in humility and devotion to God can be counted as a life greatly lived. St. Zita's example exhorts us all to embrace our circumstances, offer our sufferings to God without complaint, and find meaning and purpose even in the face of adversity. We see, through St. Zita, that a life lived in the Spirit can turn even the hardest of hearts and glorify God in the humblest of places.

A photograph of St. Zita's body today.

Snug as a Bug in a Rug

The other day, Brian and I walked into the den, after a quick jaunt to the kitchen, to discover Sophia had climbed up on the couch, made herself a little nest of pillows, and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch to tuck around herself. The opportunity was just too cute to pass up, so we snapped some photos. I feel blessed to have such a sweet, cuddly snuggle bug. She loves pillows and blankets and is always ready with a warm, little hug!

Obedience

“Obedience is servility only to those who have not understood the spontaneity of love.”

– Archbishop Fulton Sheen, The World’s First Love

It saddens me that the bulk of society today has such a distorted understanding of obedience. When we speak of a teenager's obedience to her parents, society tells us we are expecting too much--that demanding obedience of our own children will only repress them. When a woman is obedient to the godly authority of her husband, she is called a doormat; she is pitied and mocked. When a man is obedient unto the Lord, shunning sexual sin--even refusing to look at a sexily dressed woman on the street, he is laughed at by other men; they ask him if he is gay or say that he has been "whipped" by his wife.

This is a deep sadness.

For when a child or young adult obeys his or her parents, they are learning respect; they are acting with honor; likely, they are saving themselves from a lot of embarrassing mistakes and heartache. When a wife submits to the authority of a godly husband, she is honoring him; she is nurturing harmony in her home and marriage; she is showing what it means to love sacrificially. When a man is obedient to the Lord, he is walking a righteous path; he should be commended, not ridiculed.

Of course, by its very nature, obedience is not servitude. Servitude implies that there is no choice but obeisance. But, true obedience, godly obedience, is a choice, and therefore cannot be forced. It is a will freely submitted out of reverence to God either to God Himself or to those He has placed as figures of authority in our lives. Of course, obedience can be chosen out of a sense of duty, and sometimes this is right and good. Sometimes it's the best we can give. The most noble kind of obedience, however, stems from love (John 14:15). Love of God, love of others. Through a right understanding of obedience, we find not servitude, but freedom.

This is peace. This is joy. This is grace.

“True freedom is within the law, not outside it. I am free to draw a triangle, if I give it three sides, but not, in a stroke of broad-mindedness, fifty-seven sides. I am free to fly on condition that I obey the law of aeronautics. In the spiritual realm, I am also most free when I obey the law of God.”

– Archbishop Fulton Sheen, The World’s First Love

Feast of St. George: April 23rd

"St. George and the Dragon" by Raphael

St. George was a Roman martyr of the early Church. A skilled and valiant soldier, one of the pagan Emperor Diocletian's favorites, George had everything he needed to lead a privileged life of wealth and honor in Rome. But, George became a Christian, and rather than bow to his emperor, he chose to boldly defend the Truth of the Lord. This is why George is often depicted slaying a dragon and saving a lady. The dragon represents evil, the anti-Christian violence of Diocletian's Rome, lies, and attempts at intimidation against the faithful; the lady symbolizes God's Truth. St. George was martyred for his faith and has always been a favorite saint of the Church, particularly among soldiers. He is the patron saint of England.

Celebrating St. George's feastday is a wonderful opportunity to engage that very active little boy who thinks there isn't a saint in the whole history of the Church that he can relate to. George, though a holy martyr, was a man of action. Unlike many other saints, he was neither a scholar nor a contemplative. He served God in action, with his very life, on the battlefield at war and on the battlefield of righteousness as he strove to uphold God's Truth even in the face of violent adversity. St. George is a shining example to us all that the Truth is worth defending--even if it means we lose everything--even if it means we must die for it.

Here are some fun ways to celebrate this great saint with your family today:

• Decorate the house with red streamers or other red decorations to symbolize George's martrydom.
• Make or purchase a Battenburg cake, a traditional English dessert connected with St. George.
• Make and hang St. George's Cross flags (a red cross on a white background) as they do in England.
• Speaking of St. George's Cross, these flags are now so associated with the British sports of cricket and rugby, that you just might want to head out to the park or the backyard and have a go at a game or two! One team can represent St. George, in red, and the other, the dragon, in green!
• Gather the family to sing "Jerusalem," the hymn set to William Blake's timeless lyrics, as many churches do in England.
• Tell the story of St. George. If you know of some good picture books telling about him, do pass them on to me, as I don't currently have a resource for this.
• Make or purchase some jelly donuts (it's got to be red jelly, though!) and then have fun "slaying" them with the kids over breakfast or afternoon tea.
• In England, St. George's Day is also simply a day of national pride, much like St. Patrick's Day is for the Irish. If you're English or of English descent, as our family is, use this day to talk to your children about your heritage and why it is important to you.
• St. George is also the patron of Catalonia, Spain, where he is known as St. Jordi. In Catalonia, St. Jordi's Day is alternately called The Day of the Rose or The Day of the Book, and is something like Valentine's Day here in the United States. Historically, men would give roses to their sweethearts and women would give their lovers books. Personally, I love the book tradition--and the story behind it: It stems from the nearly simultaneous deaths of Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes on April 23 (St. George's Day) in 1616. A bookseller, in 1923, capitalized on this coincidence, and the book-giving tradition was born. Formerly, only the tradition of men giving roses was observed, as it has been since medieval times.
• Another tradition in Catalonia that is connected with the strange literary deaths on St. Jordi's Day is the reading of Miguel de Cervantes' classic "Don Quixote"--another brave Christian knight who fought for righteousness, albeit more humorously. You might want to join in the fun and read a chapter or two with your family.
• Make a paper dragon with your kids. Have every family member write down some of their spiritual "dragons" on green, paper "scales" and glue them onto the dragon as you each discuss what they are. Consider saying a prayer for overcoming these "dragons" as (or before) they are pasted on to the paper dragon. When you're all done, pray for God's grace and strength, and toss the dragon into the fireplace! If it's warm enough, and your neighborhood permits it, you might even want to celebrate with a bonfire outside, instead, for the burning of the dragon.
• Talk to your children about how they can defend God's Truth, as St. George did. Ask them what some of their favorite Truths are; find Scripture verses that illustrate these Truths. Are these Truths being lived out in our world today, or are do they need defenders? Discuss the importance of being there to defend God and His Word when others around us might wish to deny them.
• Alternatively, you can put some of your favorite Truths and corresponding verses in a bag and have the children draw one or two out. Then, you can have a "Scripture Treasure Hunt" and share the verses with the other family members. Have the children draw a picture or write a story about their Truths.

"Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge, Cry 'God for Harry, England and St George!'" - Henry V, IIIi

The Cookie Jar

Now that Lent is over, our cookie jar is back in its customary place on the kitchen counter, next to the fruit basket. This week, we have oatmeal-peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips. Since my husband loves to have something to grab and snack on and I hate purchasing storebought snacks (you're mostly paying for packaging, anyway), we compromised early on in our marriage: I keep the cookie jar filled, and he won't beg me to pick up a box of granola bars at the store :)

I usually do our cookie baking once a week, typically on Saturdays, and we nibble freely on the jar throughout the week. I try to rotate in some favorites: mine is chocolate chip, and Brian's favorite is snickerdoodles... I'm not sure what Sophia likes best yet; she just seems to love them all!

It's just a little family tradition that makes our house feel homey and keeps the family happy.

What sorts of everyday treats and traditions does your family have that make your home feel unique and cozy?

Pregnancy Ponderings Continued

"Rope" by Petr Kratochvil (Public Domain)

"I begin to love this creature,
and to anticipate [his] birth
as a fresh twist to a knot,
which I do not wish to untie."
~ Mary Wollstonecraft

It is amazing how much you can love a person before you have even met him... what a profound bond you can share before you even see his face.

A Sunday Afternoon in the Park

When You Grow Up

 

Today at Mass, our priest gave a homily on vocations. "Vocation" may sound like a scary, theological word, but it's really quite simple...and quite profound: it is a calling from God. In most cases, it is used in the sense of a "life calling." Fr. Steve was specifically using it to refer to vocations to the priesthood this morning, as Pope Benedict XVI just announced that this coming Church year, beginning in mid-June, will be the Year of the Priest. But, vocations can be for many things. You may have a vocation to helping the poor (social worker) or the sick (a doctor). Every marriage is supposed to be a vocation--something entered into solemnly and joyfully and peacefully because the husband and wife each individually heard the call of God to marriage. (Not our typical societal approach to matrimony, these days.) And, yes, some are called to the religious life: to be priests and monks and nuns...or ministers or rabbis, depending on your faith.

The Catholic Church has been made profoundly aware in late years that we have a shortage of priests. Sometimes, this is called a "shortage of vocations." It got me to thinking, though...do we really have a shortage of vocations? Or, do we just have a shortage of ears that are able to hear and hearts that are willing to heed God's call? Fr. Steve spoke of the "young rich man" in the Scriptures who asked Jesus what he needed to gain eternal life. This young man had kept all the Scriptures from childhood; he was wealthy and well positioned to be able to help those in need. He was just the sort of person that Jesus might have loved to choose as a leader. Yet, when Christ told him that all he needed to do now was sell his possessions and follow Him, the young man walked away, sad. He couldn't let go of the things of this world. He couldn't heed the call.

It occurred to me that this young rich man might be an image of many young men of today. It's not that they haven't gotten the call; it's not that they don't have the skills or the means to follow the call; it's that they haven't been prepared to heed the call. Are we preparing our sons and daughters to be on watch, listening for God's calling in their life? Are we equipping them to heed that calling, whatever it may be?

Think about how you are preparing your children for their future. Are you equipping them spiritually? Are you training them in discernment and encouraging them in a life of prayer? Do you view the religious life as a real possibility for your child's future? Would you support your child in accepting a vocation that would mean hardship and sacrifice in their lives: a foreign missionary posting in a hostile country or a secluded life in a Carmelite convent? What about marriage; do you consider that a calling, or is it just something you do when you "fall in love"?

In all honesty, most of us are not able to honestly give an affirmative to these questions. More likely, we are preparing our children to succeed in the realms of education and finances. These are not necessarily bad things. If your child is called to be a doctor, he or she will certainly need good grades and will likely make an awful lot of money. But, even so, are you preparing your child for the vocation of medicine? Will your child be prepared to accept and consider his or her large salary on God's terms, as a good steward, or will he or she feel the need to horde or squander it? Will your child see the medical profession as an opportunity to heal the sick and be Christ's hands to those who are suffering, or will he or she simply enjoy the power and prestige of being called "Doctor"? Will your child be willing to make sacrifices or difficult calls, as a doctor, based on his or her religious principles, even when they are contrary to those of his or her colleagues?

Perhaps, with the statistics today that most people change not only jobs but careers multiple times in their lives, we are afraid to encourage our children along a route that will mean a lifelong commitment: marriage or a religious vocation, which require solemn, sacred vows. Yet, I wonder if this trend is not an indication, not only of our fear of commitment in modern society, but of our failing to hear and heed God's call in our lives. If we had ears to hear, mightn't we discern our vocation at a young age? If we understood our vocation to be a vocation, wouldn't we persevere even when things got boring or difficult, rather than jumping ship to try something new?

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Your children are bound to hear this question countless times in their young lives. But, what if we started asking a different question: "What does God want you to be when you grow up?" or "What do you feel called to be when you grow up?"

If you're already grown up, consider not what you want but what God wants from you. His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30), and if we heed His call in our lives, we will find more peace, more contentment, more joy, more fulfillment than we would from any whims or dreams or careers of our own creation we may chase. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Shouldn't we trust Him with nothing less than our whole lives?

More Pregnancy Ponderings

"Oh, that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is placed in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no others hands the sacred and holy trust given to her."

- J.R. Miller

As I spend time daily with my sweet Sophia and marvel at this new life inside me, this little boy whom I can hardly wait to meet, I am awestruck by the great vocation of motherhood. Certainly, it is possible to experience the miracle of giving birth without, then, embracing this vocation. Our current society makes it only too easy and acceptable to abdicate our great calling to raise up our own children in fear and admonition of the Lord. Conversely, it is possible to love, train, and raise a child for God without being his or her biological mother. But, when the vocation and the life-giving of motherhood are combined: oh, what a special blessing it is to be a mother! Running out of energy as I run waddle after my busy toddler, anticipating the pains of labor, still I can feel nothing but privelege that this blessing of motherhood is mine. God has been so good to me.

Be Inspired: Susan Boyle

If you haven't yet seen Susan Boyle sing "I Dreamed a Dream" on Britain's Got Talent, you need to! I'm not permitted to embed the video here, but you can follow this link to YouTube to watch.

Admittedly, this is one of my all-time favorite songs...yeah, I'm a musical theater nerd, what can I say? But, the truly inspiring thing is that this rather frumpy, middle-aged woman nervously took the stage to cynical laughter, then opened her mouth and wowed everyone with what she had on the inside. A poignant reminder to never judge a book by its cover.

And, can I just say, Why does this never happen on the American version of this show??? Where is the unattractive middle-aged singing sensation on American Idol? *sigh* Just another reason why I should move to England. Though, I don't watch television... ah, well.

Prepare to be inspired!

Pregnancy Ponderings

"Christ has given a special meaning and power to the cycle of the seasons, which of themselves are good and by their very nature have a capacity to signify our life in God. Jesus has made this ebb and flow of light and darkness, activity and rest, birth and death, the sign of a higher life, a life [which] we live in Him."

– Thomas Merton, Seasons of Celebration

Continuing to pray that our little boy comes into this world safe and healthy, and for a safe and healthy labor and delivery. Thanking God for the ebb and flow of the seasons of my (thus far) short life... How beautiful the changes. How awesome the glimpses of Him that I recognize in the cycles of life.

Easter Pictures

We had a lovely but very rainy Easter. When we went to early Mass, it was only drizzling, and the fact that the air seemed warmer made us hopeful. But, when the sun never quite rose during the service, we started to anticipate that we'd be having another rainy Easter this year.

Fortunately, our Easter Egg hunt was conducted indoors...

...Unfortunately, it meant that we had to use the harsh flash on our camera, so we didn't get as many good pictures as we would have liked.

Sophia's still got her coat on so it's almost like an outdoor hunt :) For those of you who were around last July, you may notice that Sophia's "Easter dress" is the same one she wore for her first birthday... looks like she may still be wearing it for her second birthday in a couple months! Ah, my little peanut... And God reveals His mercy in this: that he gave a petite pregnant woman a petite toddler to care for.

After the "hunt", Sophia rested and the resident Easter bunnies got to work in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on Easter dinner, which we were blessed to share with some dear friends, as none of us had family in the area. Of course, the busy bunnies forgot to take phots of the meal, but here is the menu, with links to recipes, if you'd like to try some. The dishes without recipes are my own creation.

Beet Salad with Almond Butter and Gorgonzola Bomboloni

Glazed Ham
Angel Biscuits
Parsleyed Potatoes with Saffron
Roasted Asparagus with Lemon
Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Toasted Almonds, and Poppy Seed Dressing

Bethany's Picnic Perfect Lemonade
wine (brought by one of our guests)

Four-Layer Almond Cake with Raspberry Jam, Almond Buttercream, and Jordan Almonds
Lemon Meringue Pie -- I mainly followed this recipe, but the crust is my own family recipe :)
tea

Here's a photo of the cake after the festivities...it's a bit demolished, but at least you can see the pretty layers:

In typical Catholic fashion, I don't put out our decorations until the holiday vigil (for Easter, that's Holy Saturday; for Christmas, it would be Christmas Eve...you get the idea). So, here are some flower arrangements I put together on Saturday evening before assembling Sophia's Easter basket and hiding the eggs:

I hope all my other Christian readers had an equally lovely day... and perhaps a wee bit more sun. Happy Easter to you all, as we continue rejoicing in the season through Pentecost!

Counting Down

"Woman Holding Balance" by Johannes Vermeer

Before Easter, it seemed like the birth of this baby was ages away. Then, last night, after our guests had gone home, Brian and I sat down and said suddenly, "Wait! We're at 34 weeks today! That means we can safely deliver three weeks from now! We need to get ready!!"

My guess is that I won't deliver quite that early, but you never know. This baby is already head down and starting to run out of room (his kicks have become stretches over the past week).

When I was pregnant with Sophia, the "get ready" list seemed endless--and of course, being an eager pregnant mama and the world's biggest anti-procrastinator, I had completed nearly everything by my seventh month :) This time around, it seemed like our list was so short.

1. Buy a carseat (check, already done and installed)
2. Pack bag for birth center (no need to do that quite yet)
3. Plan and make freezer meals (all planned, and a few made, but most I still have to prepare and freeze)
4. Get a few boy baby clothes (check--excited relatives have already supplied us with enough gifts to get us a by in the first couple months--thanks, y'all!)
5. Plan for Sophia's care during the labor and birth--YIKES! Suddenly, we come to the one hiccup in my brilliant plan--the one thing I should have been preparing for weeks ago, and left until the last minute!
   

We have had numerous offers from various friends--thank you, thank you, thank you!--but all with caveats. You see, most of our friends work or are students, and some of them live a little bit of a drive from us...and then some of them are going out of town or will be unavailable on certain days... So Brian and I are compiling various plans of who to call in what situation and I've been drawing up lists and lists of tips and aids to help whoever ends up at our house with Sophia for (who knows how long?) while I'm in labor. Lists of foods she likes. "Translations" of some of her favorite toys, books, and foods, because she's not the best at articulating just yet. Naptimes. Bedtime routine. Likes and dislikes. What to do in case of emergencies. And, of course, my little mommy brain is trying to tell me, "You're only planning for the worst case scenarios...don't get anxious about it. Trust."

This is the word I keep coming back to as I prepare to welcome our son into the world...without my little girl beside me: TRUST. I've never been away from her for more than a couple of hours. I don't know if something will go wrong. Heck, nobody on our list of sitters has even changed a cloth diaper before! And, I tell myself: TRUST. Trust that the One who created this life in my womb, Who brought my Sophia safely into this world, is just as concerned about all these things as I am. These are His children, too!

Oh, what a wonderful thought! When I am weak and helpless in the throws of labor, it's not just the hands of our loving friends who will be caring for my little girl: God will be there, too, just as He will be with me in the birthing suite. Of course, I will plan. That's who I am, and as a mother, that's my responsibility. But, then--glorious thought--I can trust. My children have a Heavenly Father (and a Heavenly Mother, Mary) who are watching over them. And, though I wish it could always be my arms around them, my kisses that comfort them, I can trust God to comfort them in even more profound ways, and I can trust that He will guide the hands and hearts of those who have generously volunteered to be with Sophia when I cannot.

Happy Easter!

"Easter Morning" by Caspar David Friedrich

He is risen! Today we celebrate with feasts, with alleluias and loud amens. We gather together in congregations, in homes. We share Mass and meals. We rejoice!

Yet, in the still hours of the morning, just as dawn breaks on the horizon, something of the painting above stirs in my heart. I think of the women on their way to the tomb with jars of costly spices and perfumes to annoint the broken body of Jesus. There is something awesomely intimate about this part of the story--when Christ has already returned in His Glory, but no one yet knows. And then, they come upon it: the empty tomb, and before it, sitting upon a stone, an angel. Finally--at long last--Jesus Himself appears with words of comfort. Before He appears to the disciples, before He breaks bread with them, He appears alone to a woman weeping.

In the midst of the holiday rejoicing, steal a moment to embrace this stillness, the beauty of that first Easter dawn. Yes, this is a day when all Christendom rejoices together. Yet, in it there are moments for each of us to meet with Jesus privately, to hear His intimate words of comfort to us. Stand alone before the empty tomb today, and embrace your Risen Lord! Then, join the feast, and proclaim the Good News!

Happy Easter!

"One a penny, two a penny..."

Good Friday blessings to all my Christian readers. For those who aren't Christian, Good Friday is the day on which Christians all over the world commemorate the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. It is the single day of the year when Catholics do not partake of the Eucharist (the Body and Blood of Christ), to remember that, on this day two millenia ago, the world lay in darkness, waiting for the Resurrection of Our Lord. And, so we wait in somber thought, in reflection, in fasting, in mourning... for the glorious celebration of Easter Sunday.

A British tradition on this day is to serve Hot Cross Buns for breakfast. These are spicy, current studded buns marked either with icing or pastry dough in the shape of a cross. The spices remind us of the myrrh in the manger, the nard that Mary poured on Jesus' feet, the burial spices which the women brought to the tomb. The cross reminds us to meditate upon His Passion.

Here are the ones my family shared this morning. I must confess, I'm not sure how sweet rolls became traditional fare for a day of fasting, but there you have it.

I encourage my Christian brothers and sisters, on this holy day, to take time to recall the great Sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus. Pray the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary. Meditate on the Passion and Death of Our Lord. Cover the crosses and religious images in your home with black fabric, to commemorate His Death. Read the Gospel accounts of the Passion. Watch Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Attend services tonight; if you are Catholic, notice how the absence of the Eucharist affects you. Have a simple fish dinner (this has been a tradition in my family since childhood); fish have long been a symbol for Christ, and they align with the fasting restrictions for the day, which forbid the eating of flesh meat. You may with to consider observing an hour (or even a few minutes) of silence in your home at 3 PM, the hour when Jesus died upon the Cross. Some families observe three hours of silence, from noon until 3 PM, during which time Jesus hung upon the Cross before His Death. As you notice the silence and are aware of how difficult it is not to speak, remember that Jesus was crucified for those three hours, never crying out in pain! Get your whole family together and thank God for His unfathomable Love.

Whatever you choose to do, do take some time to recall the significance of this holy day, and spend some time in the presence of the Lord who loves you so much, He gave His Life for you! Blessings upon you during this Blessed Triduum.

Touching Base

An Update:

Hello, everyone. I've been MIA for the past couple of days due to a cold-flu-sinus thing that has been going around. Brian had it for four days...I've still got it. Between that and having only 7 weeks left of the pregnancy, I have been using spare moments to catch up on much-needed sleep, rather than writing like I normally do. Hopefully, I'll be back to normal soon. It's just rotten to be sick when the weather is finally so beautiful! I've been trying to get out in the sunshine regardless, since I think it's probably just as good for my health as a nice nap.

A Helpful Link:

For those who, like me, are deep in preparations for Holy Week and the Triduum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday), I encourage you to check out this wonderful post on planning menus for Holy Week from Catholic Cuisine.

A Request:This Thursday, being the final Thursday of Lent, will bring my Openness to Life series to a close. If you have any final questions you'd like to ask or topics you'd like me to discuss, please jot those down in the comments section of this post, and I will try to address at least some of them in my final post of the series. Thank you all for your support and open-minded dialogue throughout the series. I have truly been blessed by your input, and I hope I have blessed some of you, as well.

Show & Tell Friday: My Inspiration Corner

"In my own little corner,
in my own little chair,
I can be whatever I want to be.
On the wing of my fancy,
I can fly anywhere,

and the world will open its arms to me."

- from the musical "Cinderella" by Rodgers & Hammerstein

Our office/den is located in one of the three bedrooms in our little condo. This nook used to be the closet, but when we moved in, the doors were gone. Not to worry: it became a perfect, cozy niche for our computer desk. On the walls, I have put my trusty calendar, post cards and notes from dear friends and family, and any magazine clippings that inspire me. When I sit down to write, I feel surrounded by so many things that make me happy, and I am inspired to dream and create. As you can see, there is lots of room left, and I look forward to watching my Inspiration Corner grow with time.

Cute story: the Charlie Brown plaque used to belong to my best friend. It hung above the bed we shared every summer of our childhood, and when I went to college, I brought it with me and hung it on my wall, above my dorm bed. Now, it is still here to inspire me and remind me daily of the girl (now woman) who has been my best friend and surrogate sister from birth.

The Fragility of Life

I find myself awestruck today at the fragility of life. Some of you who have been reading my blog for awhile know that, just before Christmas, my cousin and his wife lost their little girl at 8 months gestation due to nuchal cord. Just this past week, a friend shared with me about a woman at her church who had the same experience with her little boy. This past August, only a month before conceiving the little boy I am currently pregnant with, my husband and I lost our own little baby early on in pregnancy. And, this week, we learned that one of Brian's cousins and his wife miscarried.

I don't mean for this to depress anyone, but I do mean it to be something worth pondering. In our culture where we make death the enemy, where we make every attempt to deny or sterilize or hide from it, I think we sometimes forget the tightrope walk that is undertaken just to bring a baby breathing into this world. Every time I feel my son kick, it is a reminder to me of just how fortunate I am to be granted the privelege of carrying this life, growing him in my womb until he can take his first breath. And, I am reminded that every day of his little life is a precious gift from God, even if he were never to open his eyes in this world.

Life is so precious. So fleeting. So fragile. Let us treasure it.