7 QT's This Week - Days, Weeks, Months and Years

--- 1 ---

 This week was about art.  

I have been working on items for an art show in December.

I'd like to introduce you to 

Chesterton.

I kind of like him!

I hope that he goes to a loving home when he gets to the show.

Still a ways to go, though before the show. 

---2---

 

For the last 3 years, I have joined a charm exchange hosted by Jenifer Cameron of Glass Addictions.

  We each send in 11 charms.  We receive 10 back in exchange for the ones we sent to Jennifer.

The extra charm is auctioned off to support 

Beads of Courage, which helps children who are ill,  tell their stories using beads.  

My charms are ready to send into Jennifer. 

The theme this year is 

SOAR.  

I hope they like them!

  --- 3 ---

 It's been so nice to be able to attend daily Mass again.

I had not idea how much I missed it.

Thank you, Jesus, for this gift.

When I miss Mass during the week,

I offer it up and ask to receive the Eucharist 

spiritually.  It's such a gift!

  

--- 4 ---

I made this dragonfly cane today.

It has to sit until tomorrow before I reduce it.

(It's made from polymer clay.)

It has to sit so that all of the clay is the same temperature.

Right now, this cane is the size of my hand.

When I finish reducing it tomorrow,

I will have different sizes of cane from a 50 cent piece to the size of a penny.

I can hardly wait to see it when I cut it open.

I think I'm going to like it!

 

 

--- 5 ---

 This is the tree in front of my home.

My neighbors across the street moved today.  

As a result, there was a discussion among us in the neighborhood about how long we have lived in the neighborhood.

The neighbors who moved had lived there 20 years.

The people next to them have lived in their home, 30 years.

My husband, children, and I moved into this house on October 20 just after my 40th birthday.

Next month, I will be 66!

It's hard to believe that we have lived here for 26 years!

I have lived in this home longer than I lived in the home in which I grew up!

I am amazed at this!

--- 6 ---

My beautiful therapy dog,

former racer,

Pixie Marie

will be 10 years old next month.

Our birthdays are only days apart!

 --- 7 ---

 Here's what true life is all about.

Love the unlovable.

It's all about love!

Have a blessed weekend.

Enjoy your family.

Smile!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

20 Easy Ways to Become a Saint

Look straight ahead at God.  Make Him first in your life.

Pray.  Pray every minute, every hour, and every day.

Obey the commandments.

Receive the sacraments frequently.

Use the gift of the Sacrament of a Reconciliation regularly.

Love God.  Strive to do His Holy Will which is Love.

Attend Mass, especially on Sundays.

Praise God.  Rejoice in a His Holy a Will.

Reject sin.  When you sin, seek reconciliation in the confessional. 

Repent.  Strive to overcome your weaknesses.  Confess.

Be kind to others, but most importantly, be kind to yourself.

Fast.  Yes, I said fast. 

Read Sacred Scripture daily.  Listen to the Word of God as He speaks to you in scripture.

Offer your sufferings to God.  There is great value in suffering.

Surrender your life to God.  Let Him direct your life.  No matter which path He chooses for you, know that it is His will.

Trust God. 

Let God be God.  Don't stand in His way.  Let Him work the miracles.  Know that you are not in charge. 

Rejoice in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit!

Receive the Eucharist with love and devotion.  Know that the Eucharist is Jesus, our King and brother.

Adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. 











 

Thoughts on the Eucharist

I Hear the priest consecrate, “This is My Body.”
I Hear the priest consecrate, “This is My Blood.”
I Hear the person behind me whisper, "My Lord and My God."

I See the priest elevate the Sacred Host.
I See the host, our Brother Jesus!
I See My Lord and My God!

I Taste the Bread, now Jesus, on my tongue. 
I Taste the sweetnesss of the Lord, our God.
I Taste the gentleness of My Savior.

I Smell the wine as I am offered His Cup. 
I Smell the Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
I Smell the fragrance of Jesus, the Lord.

I Touch the pew as I kneel in prayer.
I Touch my hands clasped in prayer.
I Touch my heart now one with the Lord.

Where do you meet Jesus Each Day?

Starbucks?  Mass?  The Park?  On a Walk?  At the Adoration Chapel?

We each need a place, a physical place, to meet Him.  As Catholics, we should meet Him and see Him in everything we do and in every word we say, thus we are evangelists, and we serve Him.  Yet, even Jesus went up to the mountain or to a quiet place to pray to the Father. 

I have a special place where I meet Jesus daily.  Yes, I go to Mass daily, except, like today, when I couldn't get out of my drive way because of yesterday's storm, but it's not there that I meet Jesus in "Our Place." I am an adorer at Church when Jesus gazes at His children from the Monstrance, but that's not where I meet Jesus.

The place I meet Jesus daily is in my living room, on the love seat, across from the couch that my dog occupies.  I meet Jesus in this spot everyday.  Even if I'm sick, I seem to find my way down to this love seat.  It's here that I open my heart to have a conversation with Jesus, our brother and Savior.

Jesus hears things that I could never say to my best friend.  He hears things that I need to confess.  He hears things about which I am worried.  He hears me, and He listens.

I sip my tea, my homemade fruit water, or my diet Coke. Jesus hears me.  I weep or cry.  He comforts me.  When I am worried, Jesus gives me peace.  I play Christian music and sing.  He listens, even as I sing.  (He is a good and loving God!)  It is on this love seat that I ask Jesus to speak to me through Sacred Scripture.  Can you imagine?  A love seat!  I meet Jesus here daily for our conversations. 

Where do you meet Jesus?

Prepare the Way of the Lord, Thinking Ahead to Advent

The month of November is generally associated with gratitude.  In a few days, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day, a day that still is associated with family, friends, and football.  We gather, we pray, and we eat.  

The season of gratitude leads us into the season of love, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. 
Throughout Advent, there are presents to buy and wrap, decorating to do in the house.  There are plans to make when it comes to family gatherings.  There is food to get ready and Christmas cards to address.  Added to this, there’s still homework for the kids, groceries to buy, a house to clean, laundry to do, dinner to make, and countless other tasks that fill the time and space of our lives.  Life never stops, yet, in 24 days, we will celebrate the birthday of our God,  our brother, Jesus, who is Love incarnate.

The first Sunday of Advent is this coming Sunday.  Our Church begins four weeks of preparation to help us prepare for the birth of Jesus.   During this time, the music at Mass is somewhat dolorous.  We sing about the coming of Jesus in almost sorrowful tones.  We don’t sing Christmas carols yet because the season of Christmas has not yet started.  (In our Church, the season of Christmas begins with the birth of Jesus.)  Our priests celebrate Mass dressed in purple vestments to indicate a time of penance and prayer.  (Advent used to be called “little Lent.”)  We hear readings about the coming of the Messiah.  Extra confessions are scheduled. Faith formation looks to the coming of Jesus.  “Prepare the way of the Lord.” There are also two major feast days in Advent, dedicated to the Blessed Mother - Our Lady of Guadalupe and The Immaculate Conception. These are just some of the opportunities that our Church gives us to bring us closer to Jesus as we wait for His birth.

Then we go home, and the dishes still need to be washed, the bathroom needs cleaning, the kids need new shoes, and the rounds of Christmas parties and open houses begin.  Life doesn’t allow much time for reflection on the true meaning of Christmas, unless we make time to prepare for the Birth of Our King.

So, in this busy world of ours, what can you do to truly prepare for Christmas?  This might take a little bit of scheduling, but it will be worth the effort when you feel the true joy of Christmas.

Buy an Advent wreath or drag the one you have out of storage.  Gather the family once a week to light a candle and pray together.  You can say a Rosary, if the kids are old enough, if not, maybe 3 Hail Mary’s to honor Our Mother who was the first tabernacle.
Read Sacred Scripture for 5-10 minutes a day.  Talk about these readings in your family, or, simply mediate on the reading yourself.
Begin a mini fast.  One day a week, skip a meal or eat 3 small meals that day. 
Use an Advent calendar, but, try to use one that does not give the little ones a gift each day.  Move away from the gift giving and emphasize Jesus.
Make time to pray for 5 minutes a day.  (You can pray more, but we need to start with small steps.)
Attend daily Mass.
Pray a Rosary daily.
Go to confession.  Being yourself back into reconciliation with God.
Set up a manger.  Give it a place of honor in your home.
Turn your thoughts to Mary.  Ask her to help you prepare for the coming of her Son.  She will.  Just wait and listen to her whisperings. 

There’s time to prepare.  Get started now.  Let the Light of God shine in your lives.  Prepare the Way of the Lord!

John 1: 1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God;
all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.