Monday, December 25, 2017

Lessons learned...

Well, we've made it through another Advent and have arrived at the big day...the Birth of Our Savior! It's a wonderful day to consider all the gifts we've been given, especially those of love and joy and peace. I've been doing a lot of quiet thinking today (probably more than the rest of Advent, sadly...) and I think, today, I'm grateful for the gift of clarity.

You can't change people - I've learned this mostly from family interactions but it's pretty true of everyone. You can hope and pray that someone will come to see the error of their ways, that they'll change their thinking, that they'll xyz...ultimately it's their free will and God's prompting. You really, ultimately have no ability to alter or change it.

You should manage your expectations and your responses - After reading #1, I'm still amazed at how often I am saddened/shocked/disappointed in people that I already knew were going to act the way they did. I suppose there is a bit of hope remaining and that's a good thing, despair helps no one, but whatever it is, I think I need to work on tempering it with reality. I know how hard it is to change, especially things that are basically personality traits. I need to try to lead more with charity and love this year...despite the hurt or disappointment...and to remember that I disappoint and hurt often as well.

For me, Facebook is a time suck and Instagram is a near occasion of sin - Notice I've not been posting much? It's because I got back on FB. It was all well-intentioned, I assure you. I wanted to keep in touch with Slovak relatives, which I have, and that has been lovely. Knowing my tendency to waste time on nonsense things, I capped my friends at 20 and I've actually only got 18. My problem, I think, is a Catholic Mom's Group, full of mainly young mothers with high drama and a few Charismatics who seem to only want to stir up trouble. It's taken more time than I would have liked. As I also suspected, being "connected" on FB has meant not checking friends' blogs or sending email because, well, I already know everything that's happening with them, right? Not exactly.

Instagram. Well, I'll just say I already know that people only post the wonderful, shiny stuff and still it manages to pitch me in to a depression every.single.time. Ug. Sometimes my weakness is stunning even to me, and I've been with it my whole life.

Life is difficult, God is good and merciful - Do people manage without that second bit? Seriously? I seem to have a depression trough that falls right around the holiday and I'm pretty deep there at the moment. There were times earlier in my life that days like these would feel like the absolute end. No solutions, no hope. I am grateful that God was there when I decided to look out from my navel and I am grateful that He will be there again when I chose to do so now. How good is the Creator of the Universe to wait on us? The pathetic little sinners that choose wrong over right so much of the time? It's hard to wrap your head around that kind of all-consuming-always-available-never-selfish-never-resentful love. Wow. How blessed am I?

Happy Birthday, Jesus! Thanks for coming to save us! I surely do need it!

Saturday, December 2, 2017

New Year's Eve

I know, you think all the painkillers have damaged by brain but, NO!, it really is New Year's Eve...tomorrow, the first Sunday of Advent, begins the new Liturgical Year. So, because it was on the calendar and my leg was feeling well enough to travel, we set out.

First stop, Sisters of the Redeemer, about 40 minutes south. Today is the First Saturday so they have their monthly rosary at 1:15. How beautiful to share prayer with the lovely Sisters in their beautiful chapel. How blessed to have nuns and a priest to chat with after. Wonderful, prayerful afternoon.
I've never seen a statue of Our Lady cradling Baby Jesus - beautiful!

nursing and educating...my kind of window!
Saying goodbye for now to our friends, we headed back into the city. Confession seems like the perfect thing for New Year's Eve and we just so happen to know a wonderful monastery that is a great place to seek God's forgiveness. I was slightly sad to not get our "favorite" priest but after having the discussion I did, I know it was Jesus, regardless of the man who was sitting in His place.
I so need a house on this hill.
My penance was to do three acts of kindness for my kids/husband over the next week or so. #1 was simple...let the little ones light candles in the shrine room. We all had a nice, quiet time of prayer and headed back down the hill.
The chili that I had put in the crock was ready when we arrived, cornbread quickly made, we had a wonderful family dinner. DH is playing bingo with them while I write up some lesson plans (and a blog) so that I can be truly quiet tomorrow (I didn't finish the cards or wrap the gifts...I'm on a delay with this leg). I feel ready to enter into the hopeful season that will end with the birth of Our Savior. What a wonderful, peaceful season!

So grab your Advent calendar, pray, reflect, and just be still as we all wait. Definitely worth it.

Happy New Year, everyone! We are blessed.