http://www.agapeleadership.com/pittmanfamily.cfm
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Pittman Family: Devastating Fire
Please pray for this homeschooling family here in NC who lost three of their eight children in a house fire on Thursday. This is so tragic. Jesus, help them!
http://www.agapeleadership.com/pittmanfamily.cfm
http://www.agapeleadership.com/pittmanfamily.cfm
Thursday, February 23, 2012
The Best Homily Yet on HHS mandate.
We need more priests like this one to stand up for religious liberty.
**Make sure you mute Audrey Assad's song at the bottom of the page**
**Make sure you mute Audrey Assad's song at the bottom of the page**
Saturday, February 18, 2012
I need to get back.
Back to blogging, that is.
Life has gotten so busy with two kids! It's so busy, and it's such a blessing. It's hard to believe that in less than two weeks we will pass the three year anniversary of losing Mary Grace. There were times when I think back to the year following her death and what a rollercoaster of emotion it was. There were some days when there was so much pain that I thought it would be easier if I were dead. Not that I could have ever done that, but I remember thinking, "all this pain would just go away", or "it would be so much easier if..." and now, look where we are! We have added a beautiful, thriving, vibrant baby boy who is coming up on his 1st birthday in just a matter of weeks!
Look what I would have missed out on, if I had given up then.
Look at what God had waiting for me, just around the bend...just beyond where I could see at the time. He kept leading me, and if I hadn't followed...I would have missed out. I would have missed all these gifts, graces and blessings that He has allowed in my life since losing Mary Grace.
Today I sent Isabel off to her first Daddy-Daughter Dance. She has been talking about it for weeks on end. And she was so delighted that her special day had finally come. The preparation for this special daddy date has been a drawn out process. I took her to a consignment sale with the hopes of finding a really special dress for her to wear (at a reasonable price)! I was looking for something a little fancier, like a flower girl dress...Isabel had something else entirely, in mind! From within the depths of the racks of hangers and clothing, she pulls out this pink, rose-patterned dress that could have come straight from my 1980s closet. Rob calls it a little "Little-House-on-the-Prairie-ish".... It has poofy sleeves and a white lacey collar. And it was about three dollars and fifty cents. In my head I thought "you'd have to pay me $3.50 to buy this dress", but instead I said, "Let's hold that one and keep looking". Surely I could convince her that a more modern, glittery bridesmaid dress would be more fitting. After turning down several more of my selections I knew I had lost the battle when Isabel said, "Mom, this is just the dress that I've been searching for." Sold. "Okay, Isabel, if that is the dress that you want to buy, then I think it will look just lovely on you, and we can get it."
She looked just beautiful in it. And it did bring me to tears to see how thrilled she was to be going out in such a special dress with her Daddy. It also brought me to tears to think that we had a daughter who never got to go to a Daddy-Daughter dance. She is probably dancing in heaven.
So there are still those moments that the memory of Mary Grace slips into our life here and there.
The last two Sundays at Mass, they have played songs which were sung at Mary Grace's funeral. Right after communion, both weeks, I have practically burst into tears trying to sing along. I give up and am thankful that Rob is out of the sanctuary tending to Ian, so he doesn't have to see what I mess I am.
Time has helped to heal my wounds.
Ian has helped to heal my wounds.
God has given me both Time and Ian to help heal the loss of Mary Grace.
And Faith helped lead me around the bend to where I could not see.
Life has gotten so busy with two kids! It's so busy, and it's such a blessing. It's hard to believe that in less than two weeks we will pass the three year anniversary of losing Mary Grace. There were times when I think back to the year following her death and what a rollercoaster of emotion it was. There were some days when there was so much pain that I thought it would be easier if I were dead. Not that I could have ever done that, but I remember thinking, "all this pain would just go away", or "it would be so much easier if..." and now, look where we are! We have added a beautiful, thriving, vibrant baby boy who is coming up on his 1st birthday in just a matter of weeks!
Look what I would have missed out on, if I had given up then.
Look at what God had waiting for me, just around the bend...just beyond where I could see at the time. He kept leading me, and if I hadn't followed...I would have missed out. I would have missed all these gifts, graces and blessings that He has allowed in my life since losing Mary Grace.
Today I sent Isabel off to her first Daddy-Daughter Dance. She has been talking about it for weeks on end. And she was so delighted that her special day had finally come. The preparation for this special daddy date has been a drawn out process. I took her to a consignment sale with the hopes of finding a really special dress for her to wear (at a reasonable price)! I was looking for something a little fancier, like a flower girl dress...Isabel had something else entirely, in mind! From within the depths of the racks of hangers and clothing, she pulls out this pink, rose-patterned dress that could have come straight from my 1980s closet. Rob calls it a little "Little-House-on-the-Prairie-ish".... It has poofy sleeves and a white lacey collar. And it was about three dollars and fifty cents. In my head I thought "you'd have to pay me $3.50 to buy this dress", but instead I said, "Let's hold that one and keep looking". Surely I could convince her that a more modern, glittery bridesmaid dress would be more fitting. After turning down several more of my selections I knew I had lost the battle when Isabel said, "Mom, this is just the dress that I've been searching for." Sold. "Okay, Isabel, if that is the dress that you want to buy, then I think it will look just lovely on you, and we can get it."
She looked just beautiful in it. And it did bring me to tears to see how thrilled she was to be going out in such a special dress with her Daddy. It also brought me to tears to think that we had a daughter who never got to go to a Daddy-Daughter dance. She is probably dancing in heaven.
So there are still those moments that the memory of Mary Grace slips into our life here and there.
The last two Sundays at Mass, they have played songs which were sung at Mary Grace's funeral. Right after communion, both weeks, I have practically burst into tears trying to sing along. I give up and am thankful that Rob is out of the sanctuary tending to Ian, so he doesn't have to see what I mess I am.
Time has helped to heal my wounds.
Ian has helped to heal my wounds.
God has given me both Time and Ian to help heal the loss of Mary Grace.
And Faith helped lead me around the bend to where I could not see.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Read this.
I haven't posted in awhile and I hope to soon. Lots going on here in NC. And so much going on in the news this weekend that I can't say it any better than this blogger did.... so please go read her post! And even if you are not Catholic, you should be upset by this, because your liberties may be next in line.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Wow...2012 is here, and neat things are happening!
2012 feels like the beginning of something....yes, the beginning of a new year. But something more...
I'm not sure what, yet. But I have this hopefulness about this year...I guess that's what I'm feeling.
One thing I'm really excited about is this book I found over Christmas at my parents' house. Actually, I didn't find it. Isabel did. It had been kicked under the couch in the family room, and she was peeking under there looking for cats. (We had 3 cats merge their lives over Christmas, and it went exceptionally well, I might add). But back to the story: So she finds this book tucked away under the couch, pulls it out and hands it to my mom. My mom in turn, finds a chapter and gives it to me to read. Well, it was like Jesus speaking to me from the pages in that moment, regarding a certain situation I was going through! And I was hooked.
It's called My Daily Bread and it's a tiny, pocket-sized book by Anthony Paone, S.J.
The book is in fact, what I would call the original version of Jesus Calling....just written by a Catholic priest back in the 1950s. And it's fantastic. It is just what I needed to start off this new year. To have a moment of reflection every day to bring me closer to God. It's written as if Jesus were speaking to you, and then it has a passage to think about, and a prayer passage. I'm feeling hopeful that it is going to really help me in my spiritual walk.
We had a good Christmas. I really felt the joy of His birth at the Christmas Vigil Mass we attended! Even though I was a little anxious about how Ian would do during the extra long service...usually I would have been much more stressed, but I was able to relax and really enjoy and participate in the Mass. It was great. Other parts of our Christmas vacation did not go as I had planned, or as I could have even begun to anticipate (!) but, I am thankful for those moments too. God has a plan for every moment and every single thing that we might experience as "going wrong"...and we can find meaning in those moments too. So I am thankful for that, because it has given me more focused intentions to pray for in this new year!
Speaking of prayer intentions, we are really grateful to any of you who might have offered up a prayer for Rob's dad. He is out of the hospital and in a specialized nursing facility, and we are now praying that he will get transferred to a facility that is closer to the area where we live. It is currently about a 40 mile trip (one way) to go visit him.
And finally every now and then I wonder if it's time to end this blog. Just because I wonder if it's useful to anyone, or if it's now just me rambling about random things. And today God revealed that it is still useful. Even though our experience with losing Mary Grace and the other pregnancies is in the past, that experience is still helping others! And that is really just amazing and humbling to me, that God could use our pain and heartbreak for His purposes and draw good from it. It is just such a neat thing.
I'm not sure what, yet. But I have this hopefulness about this year...I guess that's what I'm feeling.
One thing I'm really excited about is this book I found over Christmas at my parents' house. Actually, I didn't find it. Isabel did. It had been kicked under the couch in the family room, and she was peeking under there looking for cats. (We had 3 cats merge their lives over Christmas, and it went exceptionally well, I might add). But back to the story: So she finds this book tucked away under the couch, pulls it out and hands it to my mom. My mom in turn, finds a chapter and gives it to me to read. Well, it was like Jesus speaking to me from the pages in that moment, regarding a certain situation I was going through! And I was hooked.
It's called My Daily Bread and it's a tiny, pocket-sized book by Anthony Paone, S.J.
The book is in fact, what I would call the original version of Jesus Calling....just written by a Catholic priest back in the 1950s. And it's fantastic. It is just what I needed to start off this new year. To have a moment of reflection every day to bring me closer to God. It's written as if Jesus were speaking to you, and then it has a passage to think about, and a prayer passage. I'm feeling hopeful that it is going to really help me in my spiritual walk.
We had a good Christmas. I really felt the joy of His birth at the Christmas Vigil Mass we attended! Even though I was a little anxious about how Ian would do during the extra long service...usually I would have been much more stressed, but I was able to relax and really enjoy and participate in the Mass. It was great. Other parts of our Christmas vacation did not go as I had planned, or as I could have even begun to anticipate (!) but, I am thankful for those moments too. God has a plan for every moment and every single thing that we might experience as "going wrong"...and we can find meaning in those moments too. So I am thankful for that, because it has given me more focused intentions to pray for in this new year!
Speaking of prayer intentions, we are really grateful to any of you who might have offered up a prayer for Rob's dad. He is out of the hospital and in a specialized nursing facility, and we are now praying that he will get transferred to a facility that is closer to the area where we live. It is currently about a 40 mile trip (one way) to go visit him.
And finally every now and then I wonder if it's time to end this blog. Just because I wonder if it's useful to anyone, or if it's now just me rambling about random things. And today God revealed that it is still useful. Even though our experience with losing Mary Grace and the other pregnancies is in the past, that experience is still helping others! And that is really just amazing and humbling to me, that God could use our pain and heartbreak for His purposes and draw good from it. It is just such a neat thing.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Prayer Buddy Reveal
I had the blessing of praying for Rebecca at Shoved To Them this Advent!
I felt especially honored to be able to pray for you, Rebecca, and I hope God used my prayers to bless you this season.
The following was an Advent prayer I found online (it was supposed to be for the first week of Advent, but I used it the entire time! I thought it was beautiful, and I adapted it just for my prayer buddy by inserting her name for "me".
Advent Week 1 Prayer
Come, long-expected Jesus.
Excite in me a wonder at the wisdom and power of Your
Father and ours.
Receive my prayer as part of my service of the Lord
who enlists me in God's own work for justice.
Come, long-expected Jesus.
Excite in me a hunger for peace: peace in the world,
peace in my home, peace in myself.
Come, long-expected Jesus.
Excite in me a joy responsive to the Father's joy.
I seek His will so I can serve with gladness, singing and love.
Come, long-expected Jesus.
Excite in me the joy and love and peace
it is right to bring to the manger of my Lord.
Raise in me, too,
sober reverence for the God who acted there,
hearty gratitude for the life begun there,
and spirited resolution to serve the Father and Son.
I pray in the name of Jesus Christ,
whose advent I hail.
Amen.
Thank you for sharing your blog Rebecca, it is such an inspiration to others! You are such a blessing!
I felt especially honored to be able to pray for you, Rebecca, and I hope God used my prayers to bless you this season.
The following was an Advent prayer I found online (it was supposed to be for the first week of Advent, but I used it the entire time! I thought it was beautiful, and I adapted it just for my prayer buddy by inserting her name for "me".
Advent Week 1 Prayer
Come, long-expected Jesus.
Excite in me a wonder at the wisdom and power of Your
Father and ours.
Receive my prayer as part of my service of the Lord
who enlists me in God's own work for justice.
Come, long-expected Jesus.
Excite in me a hunger for peace: peace in the world,
peace in my home, peace in myself.
Come, long-expected Jesus.
Excite in me a joy responsive to the Father's joy.
I seek His will so I can serve with gladness, singing and love.
Come, long-expected Jesus.
Excite in me the joy and love and peace
it is right to bring to the manger of my Lord.
Raise in me, too,
sober reverence for the God who acted there,
hearty gratitude for the life begun there,
and spirited resolution to serve the Father and Son.
I pray in the name of Jesus Christ,
whose advent I hail.
Amen.
Thank you for sharing your blog Rebecca, it is such an inspiration to others! You are such a blessing!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Friday Quick Takes #10
1. I LOVE our Christmas tree this year. For some reason it is not dropping hardly any needles, unlike last year when I was vaccuuming every day! We have had to devise a contraption to keep the cat from drinking all the tree's water. Our cat is obsessed with water. He prefers to drink out of a running faucet, rather than his water bowl. If he hears water, he comes running....so refilling the Christmas tree makes for an adventure. Luckily our anti-cat contraption is working and you barely notice it. It's a piece of dark foam rubber that we cut to fit around the base of the tree and over the top of the water tray.And most importantly, it works! Our poor cat is just furious over it.
2. We are battling a long-lasting viral cold in this house. It started with Isabel, spread to me and I gave it to Ian. Isabel was doing better, and I was just starting to get it on Saturday when we went to a potluck dinner....I think that was a bad move. I dosed up on dayquil before we went and felt well enough to make it through the party, but I think we just ended up spreading our germs instead of joy and Christmas cheer. :( That was last Saturday, and the running noses are continuing....I hate when colds hang on. Hopefully we will get through it and be well for Christmas week!
3. Ian is cruising along furniture and starting to let go with one hand, turn around and then just sort of freefall- IF someone is there to catch him. He doesn't really do it if he knows he's by himself. I don't know if he expects that he can stand on his own or thinks he's going to take off walking or what!? (He's definitely not got the balance yet to just stand on his own yet). He's growing up faster than Isabel did....I swear! In our house, Ian is a big ham...always smiling, giggling, getting into mischief, but as soon as someone else enters the house he becomes very serious.
4. We made salt-dough ornaments this week and they turned out AWESOME! I used this lady's recipe and I think this will be an annual tradition. Very frugal, but they turned out much nicer than I expected. I need to take a picture :)
5. We watched Nicholas: The Boy Who Became Santa this week for the Feast of St. Nicholas and the Christians in the show are being persecuted. Well Isabel asked me, "Why don't they just tell the bad guys that they (the Christians) don't really believe in Jesus so they don't kill them and throw them in jail?" Ohhhh boy! Big discussions at 5 years old....how to explain martyrdom as a good thing. Any ideas? I was so caught off guard. I told her that it's always important to show your love for Jesus, even when people are teasing you or want to throw you in jail, etc. and that maybe that you standing up for Jesus will lead to the bad guy changing his heart to love Jesus too!
6. I don't have a 7th quick take this week, so for my 6th, could you please send up some prayers for Rob's dad? My FIL had a stroke and is currently in the hospital. He does not seem to understand what people are saying and is having trouble forming sentences. :( His prognosis is very uncertain at this point and we are kind of taking it moment by moment until the doctors give us some more info. Please pray for our whole family that God will show His will and bring good out of this situation. Thank you!
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