Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day!

To all of my friends who are mommies, this day is for you!

I hope it is a day where you are shown love and thankfulness for all that you do!

Month of Mary

This year, during the month of May, my intentions for my spiritual life is grow closer to the blessed Mary. My intentions for my blog is to honor Mary by sharing different prayers, devotions and how to be " Mary- like".I hope that you join me in honoring the Holy Mother of God.

With that,  I would like to start by listing some of the Titles of Mary.

Holy Mary

Holy Mother of God,

Holy Virgin of virgins,

Mother of Christ,

Mother of the Church,

Mother of divine grace,

Mother most pure,

Mother most chaste,

Mother inviolate,

Mother undefiled,

Mother most amiable,

Mother most admirable,

Mother of good counsel,

Mother of our Creator,

Mother of our Savior,

Virgin most prudent,

Virgin most venerable,

Virgin most renowned,

Virgin most powerful,

Virgin most merciful,

Virgin most faithful,

Mirror of justice,

Seat of wisdom,

Cause of our joy,

Spiritual vessel,

Vessel of honor,

Singular vessel of devotion,

Mystical rose,

Tower of David,

Tower of ivory,

House of gold,

Ark of the covenant,

Gate of heaven,

Morning star,

Health of the sick,

Refuge of sinners,

Comforter of the afflicted,

Help of Christians,

Queen of angels,

Queen of patriarchs,

Queen of prophets,

Queen of apostles,

Queen of martyrs,

Queen of confessors,

Queen of virgins,

Queen of all saints,

Queen conceived without original sin,

Queen assumed into heaven,

Queen of the most holy Rosary,

Queen of families,

Queen of peace.

Throwback Thursday: A Open Letter to Jennifer Lawerence

Dear Ms. Lawrence,

     I have read a recent interview in a particular magazine that has focused on the horrendous scandal that you were a part of. First off, let me apologize for the horrid crime that has been committed against you. As a fellow woman, I feel for you. Your most private affairs were stolen from your phone and placed for all the world to see.

     My letter to you is not to offend you, or to put you at the stake,  but rather to rebuttal the last sentence that you wrote when asked about the scandal. I won't go into what is moral or what is not in a relationship. I won't go into church doctrine, or even individual values. I won't criticize those that should know that in this day in age  whatever we put on our phones or on our computers is nowhere near private. That is not the point.

I will however, pick a fight at your last few words;

“I started to write an apology, but I don’t have anything to say I’m sorry for,” she said. “I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he’s going to look at you.”

     I don't think you should have to apologize for the crime that happened to you. I do think you should have to apologize to the woman you made feel inadequate with your statement and the many men you have judged with having a weak will as well as stereotyping men as a whole, with those few words.

     As a woman, I often feel inadequate. The magazines tell me my face has to many blemishes, the stores tell me that my skirt size is too big. A flip of the channel and I will realize I cannot compare to the models, actresses and other beautiful women out there. I am told tips and tricks to try to "fix" myself as a woman; dress sexy for your man, tease him, tantalize him... so that he stays.

     Why?  Why should I hate the body I have and constantly mold it into something that will never be? Why should I be told that if I don't send my boyfriend/fiancé/husband nudes that HE is SO weak and can't control himself that I have to provide those photographs otherwise he will cheat on me with porn.

     Why should I have to worry " is last picture I sent scandalous enough". Why must I think that my  boyfriend/fiancé/husbands willpower is so weak and that he needs constant self gratification.  NO. I don't believe you are right Ms. Lawrence, and correct me if I am wrong, but I think that you too may be affected by the media and possibly share some of the same feelings that I have; feeling inadequate.

    We as women ARE good enough. I am happy that you have been in a loving, healthy relationship for four years but I think that your reasons for sending those pictures of yourself are demeaning, to yourself. You may refute my statement by saying that I am naive if I think differently about men, especially those who are in a long distant relationship.

No, I simply hold males to a higher standard and believe that they are stronger than the flesh, and you Ms. Lawrence, you are good enough.

Respectfully,

A fan, a wife, a woman who IS good enough.




***This post was originally published  Monday, October 13, 2014***

Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes

How many times have we walked past the homeless without a second thought?
How many times have we heard a horrible story about a mother being left with her children because a horrific tragedy happened?
A house burned down in your neighborhood.
Someone once again taking donations for a third world country.

We promise to pray. We promise to give a dollar next time. Often we are so wrapped up in our latest twitter update we don't even notice. We have become so desensitized as a community of believers. Almost cold to that which does not affect us.


Take a moment today. To pray for those who are hurting. For those who are in sick. For those struggling to make ends meet. Not every need is shown in the open.  Let us open our eyes to those that we keep missing, for the broken hearted for the forgotten.

                     

Give me your eyes for just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see,

Everything that I keep missing,

Give your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the broken-hearted

The ones that are far beyond my reach.

Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten.

Give me Your eyes so I can see.

You Know You're Catholic When...

You know those things where your Protestant friends just wouldn't understand? Yup. Here is a list just for you.  Thank you to a wonderful group of women who helped me compile this list! Part 2, coming soon!

You Know You're Catholic When...

When vacations usually include visits to local shrines and Holy places, or at least Mass at a new parish because you wouldn't dream of missing!

Getting so excited to have a priest come bless your new house. 

Loving the smell of newly baptized babies.

When the top of your Sunday shoes gets as used as the sole.

Your children who can't receive Holy Communion yet play Mass with bread they have flattened and fruit punch for wine.

You walk into a Protestant church for a wedding and your toddler exclaims in a very concerned voice, "why they hide Jesus!? Why he not here!?" As she points at the cross on the wall.

When your almost 2 year old son waits for you to help him make the sign of the cross every time you sit down to eat and then folds his hands together and says "a-men men".

When trying on dresses or skirts, you do the genuflect test.

You look forward to the 3rd Sunday of Advent to see father wearing pink.

Your toddler talks to the Mary statue and gives her kisses.

When someone says "may the force be with you" and you respond "and with your spirit"

When your kids/spouse say they can't find something and you immediately ask, "did you talk to St Anthony?"

 You genuflect when you go into the row of seats at the movies! Purely out of habit.

You celebrate ALL the days of Christmas and Easter.

 Your child asks why that cross doesn't have a Jesus on it!

You forget to take your lunch to work on Friday and there's no restaurants with fish near by. #Catholicproblems

Your church parking lot has several white passenger vans

When your kids use the dogs water to bless themselves.Your toddler walks up to your water cup sitting on the coffee table, sticks her hand in it, blesses herself and walks away. 
(Then you're wondering how many times that happened and you didn't notice and drink it afterwards).

You look on the calendar to see which Saint you can celebrate.

Your kids use potato chips at lunch to pretend they're receiving communion.

You always have a Rosary, prayer cards or a book, in your purse. And maybe even a Miraculous Medal that needs a chain in there too.

Your children won't go to bed without prayers, even if they have fallen asleep and are being woken up to walk to bed.

You swim in a scapular.


When a Protestant says, "I have to miss church in Sunday," and you're like, "Just go to the 4 pm on Saturday--oh."

When you carry Holy Water in your purse.


You hang a rosary outside before big events in hopes of good weather.

DIY: Foaming Handsoap

If you are anything like me you take pride in anything you can make yourself! As a frequent essential oil user who likes to use her oils for everything and anything I am continually finding new ways to get every penny out of my oils. 

For those who know: I am a doTERRA Wellness Advocate, but as I tell all of my customers and " Oil Students" I am brutally honest about the products I sell. Some I love, some I don't, some I know I can make myself.


doTERRA has a wonderful line of  onGuard products which help fight off the ickies. One of those products is a hand-soap. I personally love the hand-soap, but I think it is pricey and I know I could make a version of it, much much cheaper. So I did and this is how, along with a price breakdown, just for you!

DIY: Foaming Hand-soap

What you need:

• 2 tbsp Dr. Bronners Castile Soap
• 1 tsp Aloe Vera Juice (this is optional, but helps moisturize!)
• Distilled or boiled water - enough to fill your soap pump
• Essential Oil of your choice
• A foaming hand-soap dispenser.

How To:

•  If using boiled water, boil and let cool. Refrain from touching water with finger or utensil.
•  Pour water into hand soap container, leaving about 1.5 inch room at the top.
•  Pour in Castile Soap
•  Pour in Aloe Vera (optional)
•  Add 5 drops of your choice essential oil. I recommend OnGuard, Lemon, Melaeuca, Peppermint or Lavender. Feel free to mix more than one oil. 
•  Put lid on dispenser, give it a shake to mix ingredients.

Cost Breakdown:

16 oz Bronners Castile Soap $12.99 = 32 Tablespoons per bottle, recipe calls for 2 tbsp = .81 per bottle.

1 tsp Aloe Vera Juice $7.99 = 96 Teaspoons per bottle, recipe calls for 1 tsp- .08 per bottle

Essential Oil OnGuard ( at wholesale membership pricing) ( price will vary with different oils) $32.00= 250 drops per bottle, recipe calls for 5 drops = .64

Total:$1.53
Compare with doTERRA hand-soap: $9.25

The above cost reflects one bottle of homemade, all natural hand-soap using CPTG oils from doTERRA. Cost may differ if you have to buy a hand-soap dispenser ( I reuse mine). You can also bring cost down by using a different essential oil that is cheaper: Ex: Lemon, Lavender, Peppermint. Another method to keep costs down is to boil your own water vs. buying distilled.



For those interested in OnGuard essential oil you can buy yours here.

Saint of the Month: May

Every month, I dedicate my time to learn about a new Saint. I pick this Saint randomly and is often a reflection of my personal struggles and intentions for that month. As Catholics, we do not worship the Saints. We see them as brothers and sisters in Christ who have passed away and have led a life that is reflective of Christ. This does not mean that they were perfect, more often than not many of the Saints struggled spiritually and because they were human they were sinners.  Due to them turning their lives around, or having gone through many trials and tribulations we look to them as human role models that we too, as sinners can turn our lives around and follow Christ fully.

Saint of the Month

St. Gerard

The Facts

Feastday: October 16

Patron of expectant mothers

Death: 1755

Beatified By: January 29, 1893, by Pope Leo XIII

Canonized By: December 11, 1904, by Pope Saint Pius X

St Gaerad's prayers are sought for the children, unborn children, women in childbirth, mothers, expectant mothers, motherhood, falsely accused people, good confessions, lay brothers and Muro Lucano, Italy.

Prayer
O good St Gerard, powerful intercessor before God and wonder worker of our day, confidently I call upon you and seek your aid.  On Earth you always fulfilled God's designs, help me now to do the holy will of God.  Implore the Master of Life, from whom all paternity proceeds, to render me fruitful in offspring, that I may raise up children to God in this life, and in the world to come, heirs to the Kingdom of His Glory. 

Amen.

I look forward to the month of May, as I grow deeper in prayer through the help and intersession of St. Gerard. As my husband and I grow together as a married couple and battle our unexplained infertility, we plan on asking  St. Gerard to help us pray for our family to grow, if God wills it.

We will be praying a novena, for those interested in a St. Gerard novena, you can find it here: St. Gerard Novena