Keeping A Tidy House

Another mom just shared this with me.  A great reminder!

"Trying to keep your house clean if you have kids is like trying to shovel your sidewalk during a snowstorm".

Birthday Parties

Got a great email today from Catholic Mom Mrene in NY.  Love this idea!

Today I ran into a school mom from my daughter's kindergarten class.  About a month ago, my daughter went to her son's birthday party, and we bought The Greatest Miracle DVD from the Catholic Store as a gift for him.  I used to dread these birthday parties, buying yet another made-in-China present for the kid who already has everything and was about to receive a ton more simply because he was another year older.  But no more!  Now I don't mind these parties at all because it's an opportunity to buy them something that just might bring them closer to Our Lord, and I don't feel guilty about spending money because it supports our Catholic store.  

So this woman stops me and says, "Excuse me, you bought that Greatest Miracle DVD for my son."  I was worried she was about to let me have it for not warning her about the scary demons scene.  Instead she says, "I just want you to know, it used to be such a fight to get my son to mass.  Ever since he's watched that movie, he wants to go, and he asks me questions about what's going on during mass."  Can you believe it?!?  Just from this movie!  So I just wanted to put a plug in for it!

God bless,
Mrene

Movie Trailer Below:

Get your copy of this DVD at St. Gregory the Great Bookstore or through Ignatius Press.

Other gift ideas:

DVDs
Facing the Giant, Soul Surfer, Mighty Macs. Animated Saint movies are good as well.

CDs
Music for girls: Britt Nicole, Jamie Grace, Group 1 Crew are good ones. 
Music for boys: Toby Mac, Thousand Foot Krutch, KJ52, Group 1 Crew.

For younger kids: Meet Kids 4 Jesus (Music), CatChat (Music and Stories) and Glory Story (Stories of Blessed Pier Giorgio, etc.) for kids age 3-11 CLICK HERE

Books
For girls 2nd through 6th grade, the Olivia and the Little Way series, by Nancy Belanger 
A modern day story of a girl who moves to a new town, based on the spirituality of St. Therese.


Have other ideas for birthday gifts for kids? Let us know.  Leave a comment below.

Not on our email list? Click here.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

Losing Yourself In Love

Annie's friend Lydia sent her the best book...and then she read it and sent it to me... and then I read it in two days. Loved it!  The book is My Sisters the Saints by Colleen Carroll Campbell. 

Page 112 has the best advice from Edith Stein (St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) to each of us.  

Edith Stein

"Edith recommends that a woman should, if possible, attend mass in the morning and ask Jesus after receiving Him in the Eucharist how He wants her to spend her day. As the day progresses and new worries and problems accumulate, she should take a noontime break to reconnect w/ God. A Eucharistic holy hour or solitary rest in a quiet place is ideal, but if that's impossible, she should take a moment to 'seal herself off inwardly against all other things and take refuge in the Lord. He is indeed there and can give us in a single moment what we need.’ The day’s work and problems will continue, but we will remain at peace.

Edith then says: "When night comes, and retrospect shows that everything was patchwork and much that one had planned left undone, when so many things rouse shame and regret, then take all as is, lay it in God's hands, and offer it up to Him. In this way we will be able to rest in Him, actually to rest and to begin the new day like a new life."

A woman who follows these natural rhythms of prayer, work, and rest will be rewarded with abiding peace, Edith says. She will find in Jesus a worthy outlet for her feminine longing to lose herself in love." 

_______________________________________________________________

Colleen Carroll Campbell

Colleen Carroll Campbell is an author, columnist, television and radio host and former presidential speechwriter. She writes for such national outlets as The New York Times, Washington Post, America and First Things; comments on those issues on such networks as PBS, NPR, FOX News and CNN; and discusses them as host of “Faith & Culture,” a weekly television and radio interview show that airs internationally on EWTN, the world’s largest religious network. A former speechwriter to President George W. Bush and the author of The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy (Loyola, 2002), Campbell speaks to audiences across America.  

Check out Colleen’s inspiring talk Feminine Genius with bonus track from the book, read by Colleen, about St Therese of Liseux and her father. To purchase this CD or MP3Download click here.   

The Holy Rosary

           The Holy Rosary

My daughter shared this with me today. - Julie

"The rosary is mostly said when you are feeling sad or when something is on your mind that you are mad about. My family prays the rosary every night. The rosary has two prayers and they are the Lords prayer and Hail Mary. I love the rosary!"

by Katie, age 8 

  

Mom On A Media Mission

Christie Thein is a Mom On A Media Mission.  She wants to change a culture by teaching people how to change their media choices.  Instead of secular movies, books, CDs and music, Christie is teaching parents (and kids) how to find good Christian alternatives. 

Christie is the mama on the far right

The key word here is good.  The mom has spent hours and hours finding high quality media that you and your family will enjoy.  

Below are her 'Top Ten' lists to help you get started.  Want more?  Just email her at christiethein@yahoo.com and she'll send you more recommendations. 

Also contact Christie and invite her to run a 'Mom on A Media Mission' workshop with the parents, teachers, and/or catechists in your school or parish. She will empower them to choose good media in their homes and classrooms.  

Christie can speak with youth groups and students as well.  

Top Ten Christian Artists to check out for the teens

(purchase through itunes)

Artist/Album                             Song

Toby Mac                            Me Without You

(Eye On It)

Britt Nicole                         Amazing Life

(Gold

Group 1 Crew                    Freq Dat

(Fearless)

Thousand Foot Krutch   Be Somebody

( The End Is Where We 

Begin)

Family Force Five             Cray Button

(Cray Button)   

KJ-52                                   Brand New Day

(Dangerous)

Owl City                              Shooting Star

(Shooting Star)

Skillet                                   Monster

(Awake)

Anthem Lights                   Outta My Mind

(Anthem Lights)

Switchfoot                           Dare You To Move

(The Best Yet)

Great radio station online to check out!!

http://www.yeshome.com/TPage1308.aspx

Ten Christian Artists for Moms

1.)  Chris Tomlin (A staple in every house)

2.)  Matthew West

3.)  Casting Crowns

4.)  Brandon Heath

5.)  Chris August

                                                      6.)  Jeremy Camp

                                                      7.)  Sanctus Real

                                                      8.)  The Afters

                                                      9.)  Tenth Avenue North

                                                     10.)  Matt Maher

Ten great youtube videos to check out

1.)  Britt Nicole

The Lost Get Found

Headphones

Britt Nicole is great for all ages!  Kids love her. 

2.)  Brandon Heath

Give Me Your Eyes

The Light InMe

Give Me Your Eyes is amazing, I pray that He will give us His eyes so that we may see the world as He sees it. The Light In Me is a great teaching video for your kids.  There is a boy whose friends are not making good choices and he is faced with a choice.  You put the light in me….

3.)  Casting Crowns

Just  Another Birthday

AmericanDream

Slow Fade

Casting Crown has so many videos with great messages.  Just another birthday is a good video for your teenagers to watch. American Dream and Slow Fade for couples.

4.)  Chris August

7X70

Powerful song on forgiveness, check out the story  behind the video

5.)  Josh Wilson

I Refuse

6.)  Lecrae

Just LikeYou

Powerful video on  our example to our children

7.)  Lifehouse

Everything skit

Video that portrays our youth getting romanced into the many temptations that life offers.

8.)  Matthew West

My OwnLittle World

9.)  Sanctus Real

Lead Me   Must watch for all couples

10.)  The Afters

Light Up The Sky 

Top Ten Movies to Watch

1.)  Facing the Giants

A great movie to watch with the entire family, this football movie is an underdog story you don’t want to miss.

2.)  Soul Surfer

Soul Surfer is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith.

4.)  October Baby

As the curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before she can utter her first lines, Hannah collapses in front of the stunned audience. After countless medical tests, all signs point to one underlying factor: Hannah's difficult birth. This revelation is nothing compared to what she then learns from her parents: she was actually adopted ... after a failed abortion attempt. Bewildered, angered, and confused, Hannah turns for support to Jason, her oldest friend. Encouraged by his adventurous spirit, Hannah joins his group of friends on a Spring Break road trip, embarking on a journey to discover her hidden past ... and find hope for her unknown future.

5.)  Courageous

Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, they are confident and focused, standing up to the worst the streets can offer. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge they’re ill prepared to tackle: fatherhood. When tragedy strikes home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering.

 6.)  Mighty Macs

From the inspiring true story comes the tale of one woman who just wanted to make a difference and wound up making history! When Coach Cathy Rush (Carla Gugino, Mr. Popper's Penguins) arrives at tiny Immaculata College, the women’s basketball team has no budget, no uniforms and no gym. Refusing to give up, Cathy finds help from a young nun named Sister Sunday.

7.)  Letters to God

A boozing postal worker finds his life turned upside down by a boy struggling with cancer. Young Tyler Doherty (Tanner Maguire) faces his cancer with a strong spirit and good humor, and maintains his faith by writing letters to God--letters that the neighborhood's new mailman, Brady McDaniels (Jeffrey Johnson), doesn't know how to handle.

8.)  To Save a Life (high school + up) (PG-13)

 A powerful film about suicide, faith, and the power of one person, to make a difference in the lives of many.

9.)  Fireproof

Fireproof has a strong agenda: stay married, lead an honest life, and let your faith in a higher power help guide you.

10.)  The Perfect Game

From the director of Angels in the Outfield comes the incredible true story of the underdog foreign Little League team who inspired two nations.

Top Ten Books that helped me grow in my faith

1.)  The Better Part (A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer)

This book contains the Four Gospels and beautiful meditations from the perspective of Christ the Lord, Christ the Teacher, Christ the Friend and Christ in My Life.  This was a huge instrument for me.  My family started reading the Gospel each morning and doing the meditation during Advent.  I discovered this through a prayer group (an off shoot of our Moms group) Martha & Mary.  We would get together once a week and read the Gospel for the day and talk about how it pertained to our own lives.

2.)  One Bread One Body (from the Presentation Ministries)

A Daily Devotional is essential.  I love One Bread One Body.  The Word Among Us is amazing as well!  They give you all the readings for the day and a meditation.  There are also stories in this little book.  There are many other great Catholic daily readings.

To receive the daily readings click this link, or you can send a donation to receive the One Bread One Body book.

To add your e-mail address to this list go to
http://www.presentationministries.com/general/emailList.asp

3.)  Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly

Reading the Seven Pillars helped me to understand the value of our Catholic Faith.  The Seven Pillars were unfolding in front of me.  “Our Lives Change When Our Habits Change.”  ~Matthew Kelly  My habits were changing and I was suddenly hungry to learn more.

4.)  Sticky Situations (365 Devotions for Kids and Families.)  This is a wonderful Christian book.  They give you a moral dilemma each day and then a scripture to look up and read.  This is a great tool to use as a family.  We started reading this at Advent as well.  It is also good for classrooms.  Give one to your teacher as a gift.

5.)  Noise by Teresa Tomeo

Noise gives the readers spiritual direction on how to make use of the media with our faith front and center.  It is so important to be informed of what your children are watching, reading and listening to…

The media is the welcomed stranger we allow into our homes with no hesitation.  We would not leave our children alone with a stranger, so why do we leave our children alone for hours with this stranger (the media)???

6.)  Extreme Makeover by Teresa Tomeo

Our self-image as American women is being distorted by pop culture.  Packed with statistics and testimonies, Extreme Makeover uncovers the beautiful teachings of the Catholic Church. 

7.)  The next author has three books that are a must.   

The Ten Habits of a Happy Mother

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters  

Boys Should Be Boys

I have two boys and bought the Strong Fathers Strong Daughter book for my brother and I read it before I gave it to him.  It gave me a lot of insight to my upbringing and my relationship with my own father.  The Habits of a Happy Mother we are using as a format for our Moms group this year.  Boys Should be Boys was alarming.  We need to be aware of the impact that the media plays on our sons and also our husbands.   

8.)  I’m Not Being Fed by Jeff Cavins

Cavins explores the reasons why many Catholics do not understand and appreciate the Holy Eucharist-and why some have left the Church, saying that they simply weren’t being “fed” and that they longed for a relationship with Jesus.  (I have come to realize how important it is to live our faith every day.  It is not just a Sunday visit but a way of life.

9.)  My Other Self by Clarence Enzler

After my fire started losing its spark my spiritual director gave me this amazing book.  I was challenged to read a little and then meditate on what jumps out at me.  I had been feeling very dry in my prayers at the time and in the book it says, “When you receive fruit from prayer that is God’s gift to you and when you are in a period of dryness and you continue even when your flesh does not feel like it that is your gift to God.”  If you are looking to dig deeper, this is the book for you.

10.)  Our Lady of Kibeho by Immaculee Ilibagiza

I had heard of the 1994 genocide.  This book brought it to life in a way I cannot even explain.  A story on forgiveness, this book left me with a heavy heart for those I had not forgiven.  It was healing and eye opening to what is happening in our culture in the present.  Our Lady of Kibeho became this first and only Vatican-approved Marian site in all of Africa.  But the story still remains largely unknown.  This book will touch your heart.

Freezer Meal Exchange idea

Guest Post by Jenetta Padilla, Dickinson, ND

A Moms’ Freezer Meal Exchange has been a tremendous help in my busy schedule.  It has been so simple.

 I invited other moms with busy schedules to join me.  Now each month I take an evening to make ten of one meal, either in 9x13 pans or in gallon freezer bags, and I freeze them (unbaked).  My boys get a kick out of helping me.  Then on the first Sundays at 7:30 PM, the ten of us meet at my house and exchange meals (along with their recipes).  We’ve been set with a huge variety such enchiladas, pizza pasta, taco soup, you name it.  One mom’s favorite aspect is having less dishes to do.  And we ALL appreciate meals ready to just thaw and bake.

Since my family has small eaters, I refreeze half for another day and they help us out even longer.  On months when a mom is expecting, we let her opt out and someone delivers the nine meals to her door.  We have one mom happy to be a substitute if a mom needs to opt out for some reason.  I highly recommend this to every busy mom!  And coordinating it is simple!  Go for it J.  Enjoy and may it bless you as much as it’s blessing me.   

Supporting our Priests

 Our Catholic Moms group met yesterday 

and we explored one of our greatest treasures of our Catholic Faith, 

our priests. 

Fr. Andrew came to lead us in an opening prayer.  He also blessed our rosaries and  medals, etc.

  

While doing some planning for the meeting, I discovered some interesting facts:

• The Sacrament of Holy Orders, like the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of Confirmation, can only be received once for each level of ordination. Once a man has been ordained, he is spiritually changed, which is the origin of the saying, "Once a priest, always a priest." He can be dispensed of his obligations as a priest (or even forbidden to act as a priest); but he remains a priest forever.

• No surprise but still interesting...while the Catholic population is increasing, the number of ordained priests is decreasing.  In addition, the number of parishes without a pastor is on the rise as well - over 3000 parishes in the US at present.  This is a hard reminder that without our priests, we have no one to administer the Sacraments.  And without our priests,  we have no Mass.

• St. Margaret of Scotland, mother of 4, sacrificed her life for priests.  These words of condemnation below were spoken on Tuesday, March 15, 1586, in the Court of York, as Judge Clinch condemned to death Margaret Middleton Clitherow, a 33-year-old Yorkshire housewife who was pregnant with her fourth child. Her crime was sheltering Roman priests who were "traitors and seducers of the queen's subjects. This was here sentence: “You must return from whence you came, and there, in the lowest part of the prison, be stripped naked, laid down, your back on the ground, and as much weight laid upon you as you are able to bear, and so to continue for three days without meat or drink, and on the third day to be pressed to death, your hands and feet tied to posts, and a sharp stone under your back.” Click here for the full article.

• Because of the role of the mother of a priest in her son’s vocation and formation the tradition of honoring her at the first mass of her son arose.  The newly ordained presents to his mother the maniturgium.  (The manutergium (from the Latin manu+tergium = hand towel) was a long cloth that was wrapped around the hands of the newly ordained priest after the Bishop anointed his hands with the sacred Chrism (oil))

According to tradition the maniturgium is placed around the hands of the mother of a priest as she lies in the coffin.  When she arrives to the gates of heaven she is escorted directly to our Lord.  Our Lord says to the woman – “I have given you life, what have you given to me?”  She hands him the maniturgium and responds, “I have given you my son as a priest.”  At this Jesus grants her entry into paradise. Click here for the full article.

We were very blessed at our Moms meeting to hear Marian Lauricella speak.  Marian is the mother of our new priest, Fr. Andrew.

You can listen to her talk here. (13 min)

We also discussed ways that we, as mothers, can support our Catholic priests.

• Pray for them.  As Father John Hardon, S.J., once said, “praying and offering God sacrifices for the priesthood are indispensably important,” because “there is no Catholic Church without the priesthood.”

O Jesus, Eternal Priest, look down with love upon Thy priests. Fill them with burning zeal for the conversion of sinners. Keep them within the shelter of Thy Sacred Heart. Keep unstained their anointed hands. which daily touch Thy Sacred Body. Keep unsullied their lips purpled with Thy precious Blood. Keep pure and unearthly their hearts sealed with the sublime marks of Thy glorious Priesthood. Let Thy holy love protect them from the world's contagion. Bless their labors with abundant fruit, and may the souls to whom they minister on earth be one day their joy and consolation in heaven. Amen. http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/prayers-for-priests.html

• Say thank you. Now more than ever, in these difficult times, “the world needs heroes,” as the New York Archdiocese's Office of Vocations puts it.  Our police and firemen are considered heroes when they save lives.  Why not also think of our priests that way when they do so much to save souls?

• Encourage your family to speak to Father after Mass.  This is a great opportunity to let your kids, especially, get to know your local priests.  Our boys love to give Father Bob a high-five and talk about the Buffalo Bills as we leave the church.  

• Invite Father to your home for dinner or for a party, especially after your child is baptized or receives any of the Sacraments.  Priests are real people with real feelings.  They appreciate being invited.  They enjoy conversation. They like to laugh. And they probably like a good home-cooked meal like the rest of us.

• When talking with your children about their vocation, remember to mention the priesthood as an option.  A good friend of mine has been encouraging this vocation with his boys since they were little, and now as a young teen one of the boys will often tell his dad that he wants to be a bishop one day.  Ever since hearing this I’ve started encouraging my boys as well.  Whenever we are talking about ‘what they want to be when they grow’ up, our kids say things like fireman or football player.  But now I’m always quick to add “or maybe a priest!”.  

• On-line support: Check out http://encouragepriests.org.  Also, look for “SUPPORT THE PRIESTS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH” on Facebook

On a different note, we had a lot of fun talking about doing what God calls us to do. Check out this must-see video called "The Hairbrush" (8 min).

Also, we all took stockings home and our families are going to stuff them with stocking-stuffers for the kids of Summit Life Outreach.

And some decorated Advent wreaths...

And finally, our closing song reminding us to be the feet and hands of Christ in our own homes and in the world...

  

"The Lost Get Found" by Britt Nicole - great musician for your teens, too!

(Also check out this video which is the story behind the song above)

What a blessing to spend a few hours with almost 30 amazing moms!